Blood of The Rose

Chapter 30: Chinese Takeout

Santa Monica

A rather nondescript building sat along Main Street in Santa Monica, grey and mostly featureless were it not for the garishly indigo neon sign. It read 'Foxy Boxes', complete with a stylized, and rather incongruously sexy-looking, female silhouette. Across the street and atop a similar two-story structure, a shadowy form regarded the building steadily, her amber eyes narrowed as she considered her options.

It hadn't taken much effort, really, for the Gangrel vampire to discover the corpse of Virgil Crumb in the basement morgue of the medical clinic behind her. Going off of the driver's license Ruby had shown her, the body was certainly far more pallid than it should have been after such a short time, indicating for certain that it had been exsanguinated.

Said corpse had very few personal effects, the most interesting of them being a key card to the building she now had under observation.

Blake let out a sigh, settling back on her haunches. A cool night breeze ruffled the material of the dark bow atop her head along with her mane of raven hair. She tested to ensure her weapons were secure, the katana sheathed along her spine and the small but deadly automatic handgun holstered at the small of her back for a left-handed draw.

Violence seemed to be the likely outcome of this night's activity. Not that she minded, per se, it just wasn't something she'd actively sought out since her Embrace those many years ago.

But ridding Santa Monica of this Kuei-jin would serve a dual-fold purpose. It would secure this area from further encroachment by the enemies of Kindred… and perhaps gain some amount of favor with a particularly intriguing brunette fledgling.

It was difficult to place her finger on what, exactly, she found so interesting about the diminutive girl. Her apparent partner, as well, piqued her curiosity, but there just seemed to be a… presence... more like a compelling aura about the silver-eyed Kindred that signified a momentous future.

One she was now apparently tied to if her Master was correct.

"What a strange path lain out before me," she mused quietly, her whispered words snatched away by the breeze before they could even be heard.

All she'd known, ever since Beckett had rescued her from her own prison of feral monstrosity, was the life of an Autarkis, the only true independent Kindred. Oh, sure, the Anarchs might tout how they were outside the rules, defying the 'man' and all, but they were still a political movement, a semi-organized society within their kind. She and Beckett, however, truly existed outside of any Kindred organization. They were allowed the sort of movement and leeway that the Anarchs, or Camarilla, or even the Sabbat were unable or unwilling to offer each other. Their kind were few and far between, able to possess the power or influence to stand up to the like of Princes. Curiously enough, one other such Autarkis resided in the LA area, though he seemed to exist more by guile and purported usefulness rather than outright prestige.

And yet, for all of her adherence to the Autarkis ideals, here she now was, purposefully furthering the goals of a probationary member of the Camarilla.

Blake shook her head irritably at the thought. For one, Ruby didn't seem to be any more enamoured of her clan's organization than she herself was. Even Weiss, the other fledgling, was unlike most Camarilla she'd come across. And Beckett himself was right now visiting with the Prince of LA, conferring on his purpose within this region.

It wasn't like she shouldn't be doing this incursion, regardless of the niggling little voice of guilt that reminded her she'd not received permission from her Master beforehand.

"This is ridiculous," the Gangrel vampire grumbled irritably, turning towards the side of the rooftop that bordered the alleyway. "He has given me plenty of leeways before. And besides, he said himself I should ingratiate myself with them."

Having accepted her own reassurances, Blake nodded to herself firmly before peering over the edge. Seeing nobody in sight, she dropped noiselessly down two stories to the ground, immediately straightening from her crouch and stalking across the street towards her target.

As usual, there were few pedestrians out and about at such a late hour, and those that were either ignored her weaponry or simply gave her a wide berth, which suited her just fine. She headed for the front door of Foxy Boxes with the confident attitude that she belonged there, inserted the key card, and let herself into the building, closing the door again softly behind her.

A dimly-lit hallway, bordered by brick walls, stretched out before her and ended in sealed double doors. To the left was an open door revealing a cluttered but uninteresting storage room, while to the right was a regular doorway that likely lead to the main office.

Deciding to start at the latter, Blake silently glided forward, one hand resting on the hilt of her sword behind her shoulder while the other gently tested the handle. Finding it unlocked, she smoothly opened the door, darted inside after ensuring the room was empty, and quietly closed it behind her once more. She stepped around the ornate wooden desk, the only piece of furniture in the room aside from the upholstered desk chair she now sank into, and regarded the open laptop before her.

She'd not been so removed from civilization as to not know what a computer was, though such devices were not her usual fare. Fortunately for the Gangrel, a report of sorts was already open, the green text glowing on the screen against the black background. The Kuei-jin had been making entries over the past week or so describing his efforts, but as she scrolled down, her amber eyes narrowed while reading the last five entries.

My initial observations of the city indicate that the Cainites here are both scattered and unorganized. There are three individuals of note, but they seem to be involved in some sort of dispute. I shall continue to watch and listen.

These Cainites are a curious and fragile race. They waste the gift of their immortality on petty schemings and fleshly gain. We will have little problem making this city our own.

It seems that my presence here has been noted by one of the Cainites, a 'Nosferatu' I believe they are called. He has entrusted the responsibility of my surveillance to a bumbling mortal fool. I have begun to follow this so-called spy... a small, amusing respite from my usual duties.

It seems that I have drawn the attention of a newcomer, an agent of the prince, one who seems to wrap herself in a red cloak, of all things. I know very little about her, but this particular agent seems much more resourceful than most Cainites I have observed. She seems to have the assistance of a partner of sorts, the white-haired Cainite a member of this Camarilla organization. I will prepare myself in the event that our paths cross.

The agent of whom I spoke before has discovered the existence of Virgil Crumb. However, she and her companion seem to have left the city. In her place, another has taken up the hunt, one who might be even more formidable. A woman who is more beast than Cainite. An altercation seems imminent. If I do not survive, let my last report state that Santa Monica is ripe for the taking. You will find little resistance if we come here in force.

Blake smirked to herself as she rose from the chair. Formidable? she thought to herself humorously, slowly drawing her katana from its sheath, revealing the midnight blade of sharpened steel.

You have no idea...

She edged the door open slightly, noting the empty hallway, before slipping out noiselessly. The raven-haired Kindred paused at the double doors, straining her senses but unable to pick up on any noise.

With a shrug, she brought her knee up towards her chest and lashed out with her foot, kicking the doors in.

They rebounded against the walls on either side with a resounding boom, but fortunately, they didn't bounce back hard enough to hit her in the face as she strode through, amber eyes searching.

That would have been a bit embarrassing.

Instead, the Gangrel was faced with a large, rather open two-story room with a catwalk ringing the upper perimeter. Wooden crates and cardboard boxes were stacked haphazardly around the edges and in the middle, some of the stacks reaching up above the level of the catwalk.

Blake walked out into the middle of the room, a small area that seemed to have been recently cleared.

"You may as well come out," she stated in an almost bored monotone.

A figure slipped out from behind a stack before her, dressed in black slacks and slippers with a grey tunic that came down to his knees. The Asian-looking man gave her a respectful nod, reaching around the corner to withdraw a katana of his own, the silvery blade gleaming in the moonlight streaming in from the windows high above.

And without further discussion, the battle was underway.

Blake had to immediately skip backwards to avoid the Kuei-jin's rush, their swords clashing in a sharp ring of noise. Her counter-attack sent him off in a side-step, leaping atop a crate only to whirl back down, blade slashing out once more.

She had to admit, if rather begrudgingly, that this Eastern vampire was pretty good.

But she had more than a few tricks up her sleeve.

The raven-haired Gangrel spun in a crouch, managing to nick his right trouser leg before her foot snapped outward. Her opponent crouched slightly, taking the hit on his hip instead of his knee which would certainly have buckled. He turned his sideways fall into a tuck and roll, coming back up with a renewed vigor, as if the physical contact had energized him, not derailed.

As the swordfight continued, Blake tried to keep in mind the capabilities of the Kuei-jin.

Faster reflexes, tougher, stronger… Like fighting a Brujah… But along with that, come some other abilities…

As she lunged forward, taking advantage of an opening, the Asian vampire simply… disappeared.

Oh, right, she sighed to herself. They do tend to bounce about, from what my Master has told me…

It wasn't precisely a form of teleportation, but close enough in application. In any case, she lost track of her prey, and turned in a slow circle, her eyes narrowed and probing.

If she'd had any lesser reflexes than those afforded a Gangrel of her Generation, she'd have met her Final Death right then and there. As it was, she barely managed to roll away from the slashing attack, though she received a painful slice across her back that was partially blocked by her scabbard. As she rolled forward, her foot kicked out backwards once more, sending her opponent crashing into a stack of boxes.

Blake was quick to right herself, darting forward only to come up empty once more.

Fine, you want to play? Let's play.

She lowered her sword, stretching out one hand, palm up. "Come out, come out, wherever you are," she murmured with unusual humor.

Truth be told, she was enjoying herself immensely.

From her open palm, a flock of ghostly, nightwisp ravens soared forth, circling around her in an ever-widening arc. Eventually, they settled atop a tall stack of crates, where the now-revealed Kuei-jin was flailing about fruitlessly.

With a wide, feral grin, Blake gathered her legs under her and pounced. As she sailed through the air, her opponent only had the time to widen his eyes in shock before his head went flying off to the side, both halves of the body collapsing into fiery ash before Blake hit the ground in a crouch. Her ravens dissipated into shadowy smoke.

She turned, sheathing her sword with a satisfied smirk, and walked forward. The Kuei-jin's sword clattered to the ground before her, and she picked it up consideringly.

This katana was truly a work of art with subtle scrollwork of thorned vines along the blade, ending in a stylized flower by the hilt, possibly a rose. The hilt itself was covered in wrapped scarlet cord which matched the wooden sheath she found nearby.

The newly-acquired weapon in hand, Blake turned to head out when she froze, nose twitching. With slow, careful steps she prowled back towards the far corner where a huddled, bloodless form lay. It was mutilated beyond certain identification, but likely a young male kine. She pushed the corpse over with the toe of her boot, forcing it onto its front to reveal the back of the jacket and its cartoonish vampire face.

"Mmm." She tapped her chin consideringly, uncertain how to proceed. Corpse removal wasn't high on her list of priorities that evening, but the discovery of the body would likely prompt further investigation by the authorities in the morning.

Well, there was one particular person she was intending to meet with, in any case, who might have an idea how to handle the situation.

Leaving the building behind and locking the door behind her once again, Blake stepped out into the cool night and slipped into the shadows.

Mercurio's Apartment

To say that the past couple of days had been the shittiest in his life would probably be an insult to shitty days.

Mercurio groaned as he bent over to pick up the bloody rags he'd used to clean his couch off. Fortunately, it wiped down fairly easily. He wasn't sure what he'd have done if it were upholstered velvet or something equally ridiculous.

Likely just pitch the damn thing out onto the streets for the homeless to use.

The New York native sighed, casting the last of his soiled cleaning materials into a trash bag and sealing it up. His wounds still pained him somewhat, but they served as a reminder of his massive fuck-up and to keep his ego in check.

Also, that he owed a certain little brunette fledgling, big-time. And Mercurio always honored his debts, it'd gotten him this far in life. The big guy, Prince La Croix, had personally called him to congratulate him on his efforts and that his monthly allotment of blood could be picked up a week early.

Hell, if that didn't mean Ruby had come through for him, he didn't know what did.

The lanky man smirked as he straightened the lapels of his light blue jacket. Yeah, the kid did alright by him, and next time he saw her, he'd let her know. He had a way of getting stuff, finding out things, it was his calling, really. Anything from weapons to information, and he'd put it all at her disposal.

Seriously, though, getting in tight with the Prince's new protege could do nothing but good for him in any case. Plus, it gave him more opportunities to tweak the Ice Queen.

"That girl's entirely too uptight for her own good," he chuckled to himself wryly, dusting his hands off as he set the trash bag by the back door.

"Mercurio?"

"Gaah!" he yelped, almost falling backwards as he took in the newcomer that had most certainly not been standing in the middle of his living room just a few seconds ago. It only took a few seconds for him to determine that the raven-haired girl, clad in a long white blouse, black tights, and boots, as well as holding onto what looked to be an actual fucking sword, didn't seem to want to attack him anytime soon.

Christ, he needed to work on the security for his place.

"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph on a donkey, girl, you about gave me a fuckin' heart attack," he groused, walking over and plopping himself down on the couch with a sigh of relief.

"Sorry," the girl replied contritely. She held the red-handled sword in both hands somewhat nervously, though why he had no idea. She was obviously Kindred, based upon her glowing amber eyes and pale skin.

"Hey, whatcha need, girl, you okay?"

"Oh! Yes, sorry, I am fine, just…" She cleared her throat uncertainly. "Sorry," she apologized once more. "I'm not used to… social situations."

"Ahhh, gotcha… Lemme guess, Gangrel?"

"Er, yes." Blake nodded in gratitude at his gesture to sit on the other end of the couch, which she did with some trepidation and only on the edge. "Oh, my name is Blake."

"Alright, then, Blake." He grinned at her warmly, used to all types in this business. "So, what can I do for ya?"

"Yes, well… Do you know another of my kind… by the name of Ruby?"

"Ha! Yeah, I know the kid," he chuckled. "Just spoke with her a while back, actually."

"Oh, good, good…" Her amber eyes flickered about before she jerked slightly, as if just now remembering what she held in her hands. "Er, would you mind giving this to her, next time you see her? And, um… tell her… Please tell her that I took care of her little problem from Asia."

Mercurio took the offered weapon, sitting back again with it clasped loosely in his lap. "Huh. Yeah, okay, I can do that…"

"Also, there is a body in the building I just vacated. It is called Foxy Boxes." Blake frowned briefly. "The building, that is, not the body. I do not know the identity of the body, though the jacket had a rather… stylized picture of a vampire head on the back. Almost like a… cartoon?"

Mercurio shook his head with a sigh. "Goddammit, Knox… Yeah, he was the ghoul of Bertram here in Santa Monica. Don't worry about it, I'll get it taken care of. There anything else you need?"

She shook her head, wavy black tresses swaying slightly. "No, thank you… Er, I might call upon you again at a later date, as Ruby said we might use you as a communication conduit."

"A what now?"

Blake blinked her amber eyes slowly. "I don't have a phone."

"Ah, okay, gotcha," he chuckled once more. "But yeah, sure, anytime, drop on by. Only… next time, you mind knockin' first?"

"Oh." Blake's gaze swiveled from Mercurio to the door and back again. "Knocking. Yes, sorry. I'll do that next time."

"Good deal, then."

With a slight smile, Blake got up from her seat and slid out of the apartment like a wraith, the door only opening just enough for her to slip out and the entire process happening noiselessly within the span of a couple seconds.

"Huh." Mercurio scratched the back of his neck as he gazed at the Eastern sword lying in his lap. "Well, not like I ain't seen weirder shit. Fuckin' LA, man…"

A/N: AAAYYY I'M BACK! I'd been putting this chapter off since I hadn't done the gameplay for this mission, but then I eventually figured, to hell with it, we're doing this from memory. Fortunately, between past run-throughs and what I could dig up from the VtMB wiki, I was able to piece this together. So now we can get going on this story again, woohoo! So, this was only the second chapter done entirely in a POV other than Ruby's. Now that we have more characters assembled, maybe I can do more of these… Props to zerosabers and apologies to noone297 (I just really can't stand Knox…), but further props to the latter for the bits regarding Autarkis.

And you just had to know who'd end up with the sword, right? Sheesh, talk about your obvious foreshadowing, real subtle there, me.

Okay, now, let's talk schedule. No way I can pick this back up again weekly, sorry, not with my other Star Wars story going on (Prophecy). but my intention is to get another chapter out within two weeks and see if I can maintain that pace. With as long as this story will go on, I might return to monthly, but in any case, I apologize ahead of time if the update frequency is a bit… irregular going forward. Just be reassured there is no way I'm abandoning this story, I've not dropped a story yet and there no way I'm doing that to adorkably quirky vamp!Rubes. In any case, my Beta is almost done with exams (and huge appreciation for getting this one done beforehand), afterwards, they'll be able to give me a faster turnaround as well.

Hugs to my awesome Beta and collaborator, SylvanaCrowe, and much appreciation to all you readers and reviewers! Sharkdude5, steamrick, Crescent Sunrise, kinigget, Reaper Whisper, Nicodemus Cain, A Wraith, noone297, Mossblomma, Blacsparrow, RealTerminal, zerosabers, shandromand - love you all!

Stay shiny!