Seras little snippet thread

While Alice went to collect Dr. Johansen, I removed my armor to make sure he didn’t see it and break the masquerade, and looked around.

I knew this place was set to blow up, so I kinda wanted to make sure it wouldn’t.

I actually found the bomb set up tucked away in a corner, or at least what I assumed was the ignition for it all.

And then other than accessing the laptop and turning it off, left it alone.

I wasn’t a bomb specialist and didn’t feel like blowing up the entire place.

It was kind of a cool underground hidden grotto not far from LA after all. Perfect for a Kindred with a bit of work.

New base getto!

With that Alice very slowly guided Dr. Johansen back through the tunnels, up the long walk way and back to Caine.

The night ended with all four of us in the Taxi, Alice asking Dr. Johansen questions about the Sarcophagus, while I did my best to ignore them.

*3 Experience.*

That was a good batch of extra experience, and now I had to figure out what to spend it on.

6 xp. Hmm.

Obviously I wanted to finish my No Life Princess, but I probably shouldn’t be adding points around a human.

So far No Life Princess had a tendency to do some obvious stuff.

So. I needed two points to finish that, I guess I should finish Fortitude. Not dying was my favorite thing after all.

Then what? Two points for something… Celerity? Potence?

Willpower?

I sighed. I should put it in Willpower.

Fine.

Two points in Willpower to bring me to seven. Then two more points into Fortitude.

There was a sense shooting up my spin the moment the final dot was confirmed and I tensed up. Fortitude 10.

A complete Discipline.

I looked at my hand opening and closing and noticed how my flesh shifted. My flesh was no longer like flesh, but something much more like titanium, or diamond.

Yet it was still malleable, I could still move, and feel and my skin still stretched and moved.

I felt… Powerful. Really truly powerful in a way I couldn’t really place.

Something fundamentally about me was different. The Kindred that was Victoria, was now more… More.

Stabler. Like the world felt my presence more strongly, which I suppose made sense.

I was now fundamentally in a way that was hard to explain, hard to almost impossible, to kill, to destroy.

I let myself process it. Think about it, consider it, and then decided it isn't really important. The world could feel about me however it wants. Victoria was Victoria. There was no further need for worry.

But hey. I am super tough now!

—--

We stopped outside the Tower mostly because there were burning cars outside the front entrance.

“What the hell?” Alice gasped and I just hummed a bit as I stretched out in the passenger seat.

Alice would take care of this. Besides, I didn’t hear any gunshots or anything, and those cars had burned down a lot.

The Sabbat attack had already ended.

How's that feel LaCroix, to have a bunch of shovelheads attack your tower?

Not long after. Dr. Johansen was gone, and Alice was up in the tower talking to LaCroix.

I on the other hand, had a quick issue I needed to resolve. Caine dropped me off at my place, and I rushed up to access the laptop I’d bought for cheap while picking up things I’d need.

I hadn’t even used the damn thing yet, but I needed some blueprints.

Finding something that would work wasn’t hard.

2004, or 2020’s the internet hardly changed. Plus I just needed an idea for how it all worked more than anything. My Blacksmithing helped fill in the blanks, and soon I had a few test creations until I had one that fit.

Perfection.

With that done I raced to catch up, only to find my Sire in his cab with no Alice.

“Did Alice leave already?”

“Yes.”

Fuck. I raced to catch up, reaching the Hallowbrook hotel, and noticing the entrance already busted open.

Heh. Alice, really was a bit of a brick wall wasn’t she?

I came across plenty of ash piles as I hurried through the hotel and to my surprise I just kept rushing to catch up. Alice had been a buzzsaw cutting through Sabbat. Did something piss her off, or was she just even more dangerous without me backing her up?

Then again she had picked up a bunch of ammo for that rifle of hers, she could have been full autoing half the hotel.

I’d have to ask. I took plenty of false turns, the hotel was set up like a maze, huge chunks of it blocked off by rubble, or just by the doors sealed shut.

All I knew is that I had to go down. Finally I found a set of winding stairs and came to a basement where I could hear combat.

Jeeze Alice!

Clear an entire Hotel full of Sabbat in like twenty minutes, why don’t you? You little monster you.

But as I cleared the final room and stood upon the last bit of floor before it had been ripped down, showing the blood filled Tzimisce battlefield.

I realized that something was very wrong.

Andrei wasn't alone, and Alice was not doing well.

My Prey was here, the child killer, the stupid Tzimisce that made himself look like a biker. While Alice was fending off a fucking Zulo form, he was laughing and cackling as he took pot shots at her with an Uzi. At least he was doing it with just one arm. His right side looked like ground beef, red with weeping Vitae, but healing.

“Enough!” I yelled out as loud as I could as I leapt down, and Andrei shifted, blocking a bit of my sword strike as I hit him, but his Zulo form, the monstrous almost alien thing hissed and took a few steps back as the cut much have hurt him a little.

“Oh shit.” My Prey called out at my appearance, and all the gunfire stopped.

“You! Little scoundrel! Don’t dare run this time! And you! Parasite. This is your final night as well. Hey Alice, you alive?”

“No, actually.” She said flatly, rising up and looking battered, but she still had her Axe. “I didn’t expect you.”

“I was just looking into something, you didn’t have to rush ahead.”

“I did. LaCroix ordered me.” She grumbled, and that would in fact explain how quickly Alice had rushed this place.

Fucking LaCroix.

“Sire! That’s the one! The bitch that attacked La’Maria!”

“You are the one that my childe spoke of? The Dark Knight? I can see what brought him to that name.” Andrei spoke, even through his Zulo form taking a few steps back and looking imperious, or as Imperious as he could be as a monstrous thing.

“Ah, my prey is your childe? Then you should have taught him better.” As I spoke, in my shadow beneath me I pressed down on my will.

I really didn’t want my Beast devouring any of this blood.

Rotten, disease, sickness. I forced down on my instincts to drink and devour, and it thankfully worked.

“His education is sufficient. I’ve heard of you. The rumors are odd, and yet… The taste of your blood on the air… Who are you? Truly?” The creature without a lick of humanity left in it’s body asked.

“Demanding my name before your own introduction. The Clan Tzimisce have truly lost all of their Hospitality in these late nights. Then again what hospitality can I expect from a parasite living in the remains of something they don’t own.” I hissed back. Going for every back stab I could think of with my knowledge of the Tzimisce.

My words definitely hit their mark, as the Zulo Form’s face split into a snarl.

“An unfortunate need during war. Make no mistake, questioning my hospitality will lead to your final death. I am Andrei. Archbishop of the Sabbat.”

“Victoria No Life Princess, and I’m not questioning your hospitality.” I argued back then, opening my mouth wide, teeth bared. “I’m denying its existence.”

Andrei snarled and made to attack, which is when my Beast surged up out of my Shadow.

While talking to Andrei I prepared.

As much as I wanted to just kill this fool myself, this was Alice’s thing, but I had prepared a gift, and I wasn’t going to forget it.

With my Beast creating a cloud of shadows and ripples, gathering attention, everyone hesitated at his appearance, I reached into my back pouch.

I had a gift for my favorite Kindred after all.

“Alice, you remember what I told you right?” I asked her, while waving the massive round behind my back hidden by the shadows of the Beast, but not from her.

Then, from right in front of her, came a piece of my hand crafted masterwork. Burning with sinister light, crafted of shadows and blood, came the stock of my new baby.

Alice took one look at it, and the round in my hand and made her decision.

“Yeah.” She huffed, dropping her Axe and grabbing the stock that was sticking out of my shadow, yanking it up, until she found the breach, slotting in the round and then tugging the whole thing out of my shadow, ending with her closing the breach and then gasping at the weight.

She fought it for a moment, but all of this happened in the shadows of my Beast. The two fools never saw it.

“Yeah it’s a bit heavy. I’ll give you an opening.” Then I charged, and Andrei splayed out its claws and fought back.

My charge was stymied and within moments I was on the back foot.

Andrei was good. Really good.

My sword flashed out, as I attacked but he just kept knocking the sword to the side and slashing back. His claws screeched on my armor.

They did sometimes get through, but well.

It did nothing to my newly hardened flesh.

But I was definitely on the back foot against Andrei unless I wanted to use Blood Buff to put myself on an even footing, but…

I smiled as I let him strike me, his blow lifting me off my feet and throwing me to the side, and I crashed into the side of the dug out pit he’d crafted for himself.

And then Andrei looked past me, and into the eyes of Alice.

She was laying in the blood, aimed and ready.

“Bitches Love Cannons.” I whispered fondly to the room, and then there was a horrendous noise.

The anti-tank shell screamed, for the instant it took to hit the opposite wall. The roar was deafening and where Andrei had once stood was now the burning remains of a Zulo form, having been literally split apart, as the round billowed out his disgusting flesh. Already he was burning away to ash, the red light of the tracer round a light in the air for a moment.

I was going to say something, because that was the coolest shit I’d ever seen, but Alice moved first, rising up, the Beast slipping back into the shadow, his job done, and Alice rose, casually popping the breach and the massive shell fell out and bounced into the bloody ground. The blood sizzled from the leftover heat.

“Now that your sire is fucked, it’s your turn asshole!” She yelled, turning to the Childe. The fucking asshole instantly turned and bolted.

“NOT THIS TIME!” I roared out and raced to catch up, burning some blood for Celerity. I raced to the edge of the stupid pit because of course I’d been thrown to the opposite side and started scrambling up the side, which ended up slowing me down quite a bit.

I made it most of the way up I grabbed the end of a wooden plank, the remains of the old flooring before these idiots dug a massive pit, and the fucking plank instantly shot straight up, as it was no longer secured to anything, and then it shot straight down at me, sending me tumbling down right on my ass in a pit of nasty blood.

I looked at the old plank still held in my hand and then turned around to see Alice having been half way towards chasing him herself stop cold.

“Pfft.”

“Don’t.”

“Oh my God!” She busted into cackles literally falling over. My Cannon fell to the side as she couldn’t help herself.

“I said don’t.”

“But but!”

“Don’t.”

“HOW’S THE ASS!?” She belted out and then broke in the most hideous laughter. If this is how you laugh Alice, it’s a surprise your Sire was interested, you baleful undead hyena!

“While you’re being very rude, he’s escaping.” I snarked at her, but she kept laughing even so.

Almost wildly so.

“You feeling okay?”

“Never better!” She managed to finally gasp out, despite not needing to breathe she still huffed like she couldn’t get enough air. “Wow. I haven’t laughed like that in ages.”

“I’m glad that falling on my ass was humorous for you.”

“No, I mean, well yes it was actually especially after you mocked me for getting shot earlier.” She said half glaring. “I just… I didn’t know I could still laugh like that.”

Ah. The woman was still fighting off a smile, but that look in her eye was still there.

Alice… Alice was way too good at being a Kindred. In a week she’d gone from Finding out about all of this, to going toe to toe with some crazy monsters, and doing it with a dogged resolve.

I relaxed. I’d hunt the little bitch next time, and probably shoot him the moment I saw him to stop him from escaping, but Alice was having a moment.

“You’re still you. Many Kindred like to think they’ve changed, but while you’ve become a predator, your Beast filling you with new instincts, you’re still you.” I walked over and tapped a fist to her shoulder. “Whoever Alice was before that night, is still whoever you wanted to be. You’ve simply been thrust into new situations, and have had to adapt.”

“I really just wanted to finish college.”

“Then when this is over, finish college. Or don’t, go use Dominate on some school administrator and give yourself a degree. Whatever you prefer.”

“Heh. Maybe I should… When this is over huh?”

“Yes. It’s almost done Alice. You’re at the end point. Trust in yourself. I believe you can weave yourself through all the conflict surrounding you. You’ve taken to being a Kindred very well, just one last race, and you’ll get to breathe and discover who the Kindred Alice is going to be.”

She nodded slowly at that and I smiled, awesome! I’d done cool mentor stuff!

“Sorry for laughing, about you falling on your ass.”

“Eh. It’s fine. Just don’t tell anyone or else I’ll make you regret it.” I threatened with a waving finger, but it was all good.

Now where would that Tzimisce idiot run to now? That should be the end of the Sabbat in the city.

Ugh.

And all this, for only *1 Experience.*

—--

Climbing back out of the hotel was a bit of a pain, but Alice and I made it all the way up. Stepping out, someone was there. Waiting.

There was a moment of silence as the two of us looked each other over.

Ming Xiao.

I knew what she was, and she probably had some sense that I wasn’t the normal kindred, so we stared. No words, just examining the other.

I could tell behind those eyes she was thinking about how to kill me.

Funny because I was thinking the same, except I was much more capable of it.

“Alice.” I spoke one word, jerking the woman out of her slow turn from one to the other. “It looks like you have someone that wants to speak to you. We’ll talk later.”

“So quick to leave?” Ming Xiao asked after a moment, and I ignored her.

There was nothing to say to her.

There were a lot of beings in the world of darkness I had some sympathy for, Ming Xiao isn’t one of them.

Stupid octopus demon thing. Ugh.

I walked away, Alice unfortunately wasn’t done with her nonsense for the night. I headed towards where I knew Caine would be waiting, his taxi as always sitting on the same curb just waiting for the one who needed a ride.

Slipped in I relaxed, deciding to take a minute to just decompress as I waited for Alice.

I mean she had to deal with LaCroix, all I had to do was hang out and wait for a while. I felt my foot tapping anyways, as I waited for Alice to be once more toyed with by a creature much older than her.

Ming Xiao. LaCroix, even Jack.

No it would be easier to say that everyone toyed with her during her unlife. I suppose it was the standard, Kindred were used as Pawns by ancients constantly that’s what the Jyhad was. It still annoyed me.

I’m not saying getting people to take care of things for you was wrong, but it should be a real relationship. You trade what they want for something you want. It’s not like these ancient elders aren’t rich and powerful beyond measure.

What they did here these night was… Wrong.

Alice was a fledgling, and she’d still be a fledgling even after she helped destroy LaCroix, after she fought a Tzimisce Elder.

None of these things changed the fact she barely understood a damn thing about her situation.

She was basically the Camarilla equivalent of a Shovelhead. Turned and pointed to a task expected to die. Only at least the Sabbat actually accepted the Shovelheads that succeeded.

Heh. I think I was remembering my own frustration while playing the game. Alice would be okay, and I’d help her as she wanted, she was fun to be around after all.

Finally Alice walked past heading to LaCroix tower, she saw me and waved and I waved back, but let her complete her task.

Almost done Alice.

So close.

Just another few steps.

—-

It took a while before Alice showed up again, but when she did she looked like she was on a mission.

“Griffith Park.” She asked Caine as she slipped in, and I nodded.

Nines.

It was time to tell him the Blood Hunt was off. Not that La Croix wasn’t going to try and kill him anyways.

Alice and Nines both actually.

Alice was quiet for a while as Caine started driving and it was only when she seemed to process that she spoke.

“Ming Xiao says she has the key.”

“I know.” I offered calmly.

“You know?”

“LaCroix and Ming Xiao working together is something I was aware of for a while, the fact their working relationship is breaking down is obvious if you understand anything about LaCroix, the man is a brick.”

“She… She transformed into Nines. The Nines I saw at the mansion was her. The Bloodhunt was a mistake.”

“No, not a mistake.” I assured her, and she frowned deeply for a minute.

“You… You said you’d tell me the truth, but that I had to wait.”

“Yeah.”

“Can you tell me… Why me?”

“You’re the only Kindred in the City that wasn’t really part of any factions. You’re too young to have politics. Your word is actually trusted because you’re too young to have a reason to lie… That’s why LaCroix sent you to Grout's mansion, and why Ming Xiao was ready to meet you.”

“Fuck.” She hissed. “What do I do? I’m trapped on every side by-”

“Alice.” I cut in, realizing she was quite a bit more distressed than I expected. “It’s almost over I promise.”

She looked up and managed to control herself before flopping back on the back seat.

Yeah I feel you.