Blood of The Rose

Chapter 26: Order and Anarchy

Santa Monica

Ruby and Weiss trudged wearily into the disused gas tank to meet back up with Bertram after completing the task set before them. Though it felt like they'd spent the entire evening infiltrating and destroying the warehouse, not to mention fleeing for their unlives, in reality, perhaps only a couple of hours had passed.

"Nice work, fledglings," Bertram greeted them with his low, gravelly voice. "I felt that explosion a mile away. It's all over the news, too. Man, there's gonna be some pissed off Sabbat just howlin' for blood tonight." He let out a rough, pleased chuckle.

Ruby gave him a nod of acknowledgment. "Yep, it was a close thing, though. Oh, and we met Beckett tonight."

The Nosferatu blinked several times, startled at the news. "Beckett? No kidding, huh… Must be something major happening if he's in town."

"I take it he's a big deal?" The brunette glanced over towards her partner, who had been rather silent on the trip back. "I mean, Weiss, you even called him sir and all."

The platinum-haired fledgling nodded slightly. "Beckett is a historian of sorts. He's unearthed more vampire lore than anyone, really. That's all he seems to do, seek out the truth behind our… condition. And he is not affiliated with any Kindred organization, Camarilla or otherwise."

"Yep," Bertram agreed. "He's hella powerful and old, but keeps his nose outta the politics. Means most Kindred will trust him, which is a rarity, but more than that… we all respect him and what he does."

"Good to know," she mused thoughtfully.

Bertram stood up straighter and cleared his throat with a rattle of mucus. "Well, you two better get back downtown. Prince La Croix's going to want to hear all about this victory."

"Right, well, thanks for the help, Bertram. See ya."

The pair left the abandoned gas station, passing by the doomsayer once more who seemed to be on quite the roll tonight.

"Always room for heathens in the cold and oily pits of the damned!"

Weiss sighed softly, keeping her eyes on the path ahead of them. "That man is beginning to get on my nerves."

"Aww, he's not so bad," Ruby chuckled. "Harmless, really."

"Every second takes us closer to the time of judgment!"

"See? Harmless."

"The time of judgment gets closer every second!"

Weiss smirked slightly. "...If a bit redundant."

They passed by the diner, spying a yellow cab ahead of them, right where Bertram had advised it would be, when Ruby paused, pulling her friend to a stop as well.

"Hey, Weiss?"

"Hmm?"

"Does it seem, I dunno, kinda odd how they knew something was gonna happen tonight, even though we just planned it the night before?"

Weiss pursed her lips as she gave serious consideration to the brunette's words. "It does, yes. My hope is that it was coincidental, but there a possibility that they were forewarned of our attack."

"And that doesn't concern you any?"

"Perhaps a bit. But at this point, there is nothing we might do about it."

"Well, shit," Ruby grumbled. "I'm not exactly happy about having our activities being leaked to the bad guys."

Weiss smirked once more, ever so slightly. "Well, perhaps you might see this as more of a challenge?"

The brunette fledgling glared at her half-heartedly in response. "Not gonna even bother answering that." The platinum blonde's smirk widened as they approached the cab, only to halt once more, this time at the sound of a throat clearing softly behind them.

The fledglings turned cautiously, only to see the raven-haired Kindred from earlier standing there. Blake's earlier confidence seemed to be diminished as she stared down at her feet bashfully. Even her bow seemed to sag slightly. "Er, hello," she began quietly. "I was wondering… if it weren't too much trouble… Might I share a cab ride with you?"

Ruby grinned at her cheerfully. "Sure thing, Blake. We're goin' downtown, that okay?"

"Oh…" Blake looked slightly discomforted at that, but looked up again, her glowing amber eyes filled with determination. "Yes, that will be… fine. Thank you."

The three of them approached the taxi. Inside, the cabbie regarded them levelly from behind dark sunglasses. He was a raven-haired man with a matching black dress shirt, the top three buttons undone.

"Where to?" he asked once the trio drew close.

Ruby giggled slightly at his thick accent, though she couldn't place it, really. Something either Eastern European or Slavic or the like. "Downtown, please? We need to go to the La Croix building. Umm…" she glanced back at Weiss. "Do you need the address?"

"Not at all," he assured them in his low, drawling voice. "I know the place. Hop in."

The three piled in together in the back, Ruby in the middle. She looked over at Blake with a wide smile. "So, Blake… is it okay if I ask some stuff about you and Beckett?"

The raven-haired girl inclined her head with a slight smile. "That's fine."

"Cool… Um, how long have you been working with him?"

Blake tilted her head to the side as she regarded them solemnly. "I have remained by Beckett's side since he saved me perhaps four or five years ago." She shrugged slightly. "The length of time is a bit nebulous."

"Saved you?" Weiss inquired curiously.

"Er, yes… I was Embraced, well, I'm not entirely sure how long ago." The raven-haired Gangrel turned and glanced out the window, brow furrowed. "I have vague recollections of a man with glowing red eyes and swept-back hair, reddish-brown, I believe… Beckett tells me it must be my Sire. He… left me, told me that only the strong survive…"

Ruby placed a hand on the girl's leg, giving it a gentle squeeze. Blake jumped slightly at the contact, but upon seeing the reassuring look in the brunette's silver eyes, she relaxed and ducked her head shyly.

"I was… lost, for some time," Blake continued softly. "Feral and wild, living out in the wilds and killing anything and anyone I came across… Until Beckett found me. He coaxed me back into myself, helped me deal with who I now was." She smiled, her face lighting up. "He is my Master," she finished simply.

"Wow, that is so neat," the brunette breathed. Weiss let out a huff beside her.

"What an incredibly irresponsible act for a Sire to take," the other fledgling grumbled.

Blake shrugged once more. "It is of little concern to me, now, though I do not know what I would do were I to face him again."

"Hopefully give him a pounding," Ruby giggled, at which Blake ducked her head once again, a shy smile on her face.

The three of them shared a pleasant conversation on the trip from Santa Monica to Downtown, the journey lengthened by heavy traffic, unusual for this time of the night, even for LA. While Blake was for the most part rather reticent on what she and Beckett were doing in the area, she was very interested in the stories of the fledgling's adventures over the last few nights.

"And with everything we've done," Ruby sighed heavily, "there's still so much we've left undone…"

"We'll be able to assist the thin-bloods on a later evening," Weiss reassured her partner. "Once we report your success to the Prince, I'm sure we shall have more time free to pursue your other obligations."

"Right, right… Oh!" The brunette sat upright suddenly. "Crap in a handbasket, I totally forgot about what that weirdo Knox asked me to do!"

"Who is this… Knox?" the raven-haired Kindred asked hesitantly.

"Oh, yeah, he's the ghoul of Bertram… Y'know, it's funny, Bertram never mentioned anything about… Anyways!" Ruby gave herself a shake to get back on track. "So, there's this coo-jean guy…"

"Kuei-jin," Weiss corrected absently.

"Right, him… So, he's apparently poking around Santa Monica, but he might be, like, a scout or something? I dunno, but Knox asked me to look into it. Unfortunately, all I got is this Driver's License."

"That is not much to go on," Blake agreed, her amber eyes looking over the plastic card Ruby showed her. Her eyes immediately flickered back towards the window as the number of buildings increased the closer they got to Downtown LA. Ruby had noticed that the girl was fidgeting more and more as the minutes passed.

"Whelp, not much I can do about it now, anyways… Maybe tomorrow night or something? No, I really wanna help E out first… Um, Blake, are you okay?"

The Kindred started slightly, glancing at the other passengers guiltily. "Fine," she returned shortly, gazing out the window while her hands unconsciously clenched into fists.

Weiss leaned over, touching Ruby's knee briefly. "She's a Gangrel, Ruby. They really do not like being in large cities with so many people and buildings."

"Oh… Well, you should have said something, Blake!"

"I'm… sorry." The raven-haired vampire turned back towards the pair of Ventrue fledglings. "I thought perhaps I would be able to do this, but…"

"Hey, don't worry about it… Look, why don't you just take the cab back to Santa Monica, okay?" She smiled at her new friend disarmingly. "We can meet up with you some other time! Um, do you have a cell phone?"

Blake just shook her head slightly, her raven tresses swaying behind her.

"Hmm, well… Tell you what, you wanna reach us, go see Mercurio, okay? I know we'll be in touch with him again soon." Weiss nodded in agreement.

The Gangrel gave the two a smile as the cab came to a stop in a parking lot across the street from a towering building. "Okay."

Weiss got out first and turned to pay the cabbie for a round-trip fare, while Ruby slid out next. Together they waved as the cab departed, while inside Blake offered them a hesitant smile and a small wave of her own.

"I like her," Ruby declared as the tail lights receded into the distance down the street.

"We didn't even learn that much about her," Weiss protested mildly.

"Yeah, but… I just got a good vibe from her, y'know?"

"I suppose so, yes…"

"Right, so which way, partner?"

Weiss took a step forward. "Right across the street here."

As Ruby went to follow, she heard a slight scuffle of a shoe against pavement from behind. She turned, only for her world to explode brightly before plunging her into darkness.

Downtown LA

The brunette fledgling awoke again to a sharp pain in her side and curled up reflexively. She was on the ground now and in an unfamiliar alleyway. Standing over her were what looked to be a pair of Sabbat vampires, their eyes a cruelly glowing red. One of them drew his foot back and kicked her again in the side, causing her to roll the other way.

The vampire who kicked her let out a high-pitched giggle. "Let's drain her," he grinned.

Ruby grunted again as a boot slammed into her chest, pinning her back against the ground as the second vampire pressed down against her sternum.

"Let's stake them out and leave them both for the sunrise," another voice from off to the side cackled.

Weiss! Her head turned to see the platinum-haired girl, face bruised and bloody, as she was held in between another pair of Sabbat. Her arms were twisted painfully behind her, though her face betrayed none of the pain she must have been in. Instead, her pale blue gaze bored into her own.

The one standing on her chest finally spoke up in a low growl. "We're gonna have a lot of fun with this one…"

She let out a small whimper as she felt her ribcage creak from the pressure. The seeming leader leaned over over her, finger jabbing out accusingly. "Think you could blow up our warehouse and get away with it? Huh, Lick?"

The other vampire cavorting at her side crouched down, running a dirty hand lovingly against her face. "Let's pull out her eyes and her tongue and her teeth!"

Ruby struggled weakly, but she was pinned in place just as surely as if a stake had been driven through her. As compressed as her chest now was, she couldn't even inhale enough to make another sound other than a breathless gasp of agony.

"Hmm, yes," the vampire above her leered. "I do want her teeth…"

Weiss, evidently, had tried to twist out from her captors, only to be driven to her knees viciously. "Camarilla fuck!" snarled the last vampire, giving her a swift kick to her knee while maintaining his grip.

The leader of the small Sabbat pack grinned widely. "Boys, I think we could all use a little entertainment." He turned to face Weiss with an ugly smirk. "Those of you sitting in the first few rows will get wet."

His buddies laughed cruelly as Ruby tried once more to twist away, grabbing at the leg holding her down. She flailed with her feet as well, but then another boot slammed down on her kneecap, causing her to grunt in pain from the impact.

Before she could lash out with her other foot, the deep bark of a heavy-caliber gunshot rang out. The one vampire who had been holding her leg down jerked as his head exploded into a fine mist, followed by his ashes. Immediately the leader stepped away from Ruby to face the new threat, allowing her to weakly roll over and onto her hands and knees.

"Son of a bitch!" he snarled furiously, fists clenched at his sides. The brunette fledgling noted absently that the other pair had released Weiss and stepped up to either side of their leader. Groaning, she crawled over towards where her friend sat, massaging her arms to try and regain some medium of feeling in them.

And then she froze as she saw a figure step out from the shadows. Like a dark avenging angel, Nines Rodriguez stood there with the biggest damn handgun Ruby had even seen in her life. With a steely glint in his eyes, the brunet Kindred gestured with the handcannon and uttered a single word.

"Leave."

The Sabbat vampire in the center chuckled. "There's three of us, Rodriguez," he warned menacingly.

"Yeah," snickered the one on his left. "Three of us."

The third one spread his arms invitingly as they all prepared to pounce. "Whaddya gonna do? Shoot us?"

Both fledglings let out a gasp of surprise as the Anarch leader reached down to pat at his side where a fragmentation grenade rested at the ready. By this time Ruby had reached the side of her friend and prepared herself to toughen up her skin before shielding the still-recovering platinum blonde.

The Sabbat, however, seemed to recoil from the threat. "This ain't over," the leader warned. He spun, flinging out a hand towards the pair of fledglings. "We'll find you both." He turned to regard the brunet man, who hadn't moved a muscle. "You too, Rodriguez. You're all dead! Nobody messes with the Sabbat and lives!"

Unimpressed, Nines just tilted his head ever so slightly to the side. "Keep moving."

The three vampires scurried off into the darkness without another word. Sighing heavily, Nines lowered his automatic and walked over towards the pair of prone girls. "Trouble sure seems to like you, Ruby Rose," he stated dryly.

Before she could respond, a form hurtled out of the darkness towards the Anarch. The Sabbat was halted in his tracks, however, by the pistol now thrust painfully into his gut. Nines turned to regard the man dispassionately.

"Good effort."

The deafening boom made Ruby flinch as she saw the bullet tear through the vampire's spine, flinging him backwards before his form flamed, settling into an ashy pile.

Nines smirked as he tucked the gun behind his waistband. "Execution needs a little work," he finished before turning back towards the fledglings.

"Th- Thanks, Mr. Rodriguez, sir," Ruby stammered out nervously.

"None of that, kid. Call me Nines."

Weiss clambered to her feet with the help of the brunette, who winced as her ribs shifted. "Still, we are most grateful for the assistance."

The elder Kindred grunted. "Should've been more careful, newbies. This ain't the burbs."

"Yeah," Ruby sighed, downcast. "I'm gathering that."

Nines regarded her disconsolate visage for a moment before his own gaze softened somewhat. "Look, kid… I got things to deal with. Why don't you pay me a visit at the Last Round tonight. I don't know what you've heard so far," he spared Weiss a glance, though it was decidedly unhostile, "but it's time you heard the real story."

"Um, okay," Ruby replied, nodding rapidly before freezing. "Is it… Can I bring my friend with me?"

He grunted once more, taking in the platinum-haired girl's appearance. "Camarilla, right?"

"Sir," she nodded with a half-curtsey. "Weiss Schnee, childe of Ozpin, at your service."

Once more the Anarch leader grunted, though this time it was a bit thoughtfully. "Ain't gonna guarantee what kind of reception you'll get, but sure, bring her along. I imagine she knows the location."

"I do," Weiss nodded firmly.

"Right, then…" He turned, but offered one last bit of advice over his shoulder. "This is a mean existence. Stay out of trouble, kid."

"O- Okay…" she replied hesitantly. "Um, thanks again, Nines!"

He waved over his shoulder without looking back before turning the corner and disappearing from sight.

"Well," Ruby sighed, brushing the dirty footprint off of the front of her hoodie. "Welcome to LA, huh?"

"He's not wrong," Weiss stated quietly as she pulled their weapons from where they'd been flung behind a trash bin. "It is indeed a difficult existence, particularly if you do not have friends and allies to back you up. The Camarilla, in particular, is a valuable organization to offer protection."

"Yeah… I suppose…" Ruby accepted her pistol, tucking it back in her pocket, and then her bat, which she kept on hand. "Though, you're a member of them, and a childe of a Primogen, no less… and I was out doing official business for them… And yet we still got our asses kicked just now, didn't we? If it weren't for Nines, we'd both be dead."

Weiss opened her mouth, but slowly closed it again with a distant look on her face. Together they exited the alley and headed for their destination.

A/N: This was originally the midway point of the chapter, but I had to break it up a little just to keep the chapters a manageable length. So, next up, and before the week is done, let's go talk to the Prince, eh?

Massive amounts of love to my fabulous Beta and collaborator, Live to anger the World, and hugs all around for all of you wonderful readers and reviewers! RealTerminal, Sharkdude5, noone297, carpenter656, kaiju62, Athkore, Mossblomma, TacoKing23, AntonSlavik020, kinigget, SixPerfections, JimmyHall24, cheers!

Stay shiny!