FicWad

Chapter 12



Once they were outfitted, the group was on their way. Romulus then said, "We may well be walking into the heart of the beast."

"What's that supposed to mean," asked Karin, not liking his tone.

"It is suspected that where we are going is the heart of everything," added Remus, "We may well be able to destroy the sleeper cell here in New York if it is. Once that is done, then we all go to Europe."

"Are you saying we are going to Romania," asked Jean-Claude, but Chiyuki took it in stride and said, "Summertime is so nice in Europe this time of year."

"You are really up for this, aren't you?" said Jean-Claude.

"It's better than sitting around," she responded, to which Jean-Claude just rolled his eyes.

"Where are we going?" asked Anjou, trying to get things back on track.

"It's a rave club," said Romulus, "But it is an underground club that normal mortals know nothing about...unless they are on that night's menu."

"Typical," said Weiner, "You use a place like that to lure in humans no one would care anything about, feed, and either vamp out the good ones, or kill the others. Your tracks stay covered, and no one that matters suspects a thing."

Remus said, "You sound like you talk from experience."

"When you spent that much time chasing vampires as I and my grandfather did...well...that was before we learned better, and then were turned against our will...anyway, you remember patterns and such."

"Well, that's...useful," said, Remus, not sure how to respond.



They went into one of the poorer quarters of Queens, and found an old abandoned slaughterhouse. The vampires all wanted to retch over the sick sense of humor they had. Romulus said, "Our records show that it is a big place, with plenty of places to make safe rooms, feeding areas, and enough offices to do what they intend."

"What are we looking for?" asked Ryuu.

"All we are doing is confirming if this is the headquarters," responded Remus, "If so, then we need to go ahead and trash the place and destroy any record of there ever being anything like this existing. No one leaves alive or undead tonight. That is Mina's order. It's sad, but they made the wrong choice when they chose to join Vlad. If there was a way to rescue them, we would, but there is no way we can do that tonight. If it isn't we take whatever records there are that can peg that area down, though we would have to change strategy. Vlad will be onto things if that was the case, and he would be far more careful at that point. Worse, you may have to have some new residents."

"Who would that be," asked Karin.

"The princess and a few others may have to come to you for safety," said Remus, "Vlad would not hesitate to destroy her, because he already suspects something, and this would put it beyond doubt that his own granddaughter was conspiring against him."

"We would do so without hesitation," said Jean-Claude, "Any who comes to us for safety, and they truly need the help, we do not turn away, and that means /anyone/!"

The pair then looked at one another, and they realized that they may well have made some good allies that night.



They approached the location, and the vampires all used their enhanced sight while the Beowulfs smelled it out to see what was going on. Indeed, there were many queued up to enter, with maybe three or four humans in the mix. The sound of the pounding techno was heard even from where they were, so what Jean-Claude had planned would not be heard by any inside. The pair was wondering how to approach things, but Jean-Claude then whispered,"Chiyuki and Ryuu: use your speed to get the humans out of there. We will be right behind you mowing them down. Romulus and Remus: make sure no one gets away."

The pair was surprised how quickly he had assessed the situation and come up with a plan. Jean-Claude saw their wonderment and said,"I play a lot of chess."

"Remind me to get you on the board one of these days,"stated Romulus.

Jean-Claude waited until there was a passage of time when no one else approached, and then said, "NOW!"

In a blur, Ryuu and Chiyuki were off like the wind, and pulled out the quite shocked and flummoxed humans. When they were at a safe distance, they all looked like they all had been stung like a bee, but the two put them all to sleep and erased their memories of what happened. At that moment, they heard the automatic fire flying, and decided to go back and help the Beowulfs clean up the runners. At the club, it looked like the Saint Valentine's Day Massacre. Many of them were blasted against the wall before they could even blink. Others tried to charge the group all suicidal, and met their ends that way. About five tried to charge Jean-Claude, but his .50cal Beowulf not only perforated them, but the blast knocked them about six feet back before they disintegrated in a flash of light and ash. It had a kick, but with his strength and vampiric ability, it was as if he was firing an M-16. The ones near the end tried to slip into the night, only to run into the Beowulfs and Ryuu and Chiyuki. With that, they headed inside.



The music was blisteringly loud, and none of them cared for that kind of music, especially Chiyuki, who just wanted to vomit. They used their blades at that point, killing off the roaming ones stealthily and quietly, not wanting to alert the main body. Once they were sure they had the room contained, Remus said, "We'll take the bulk of you up to the other rooms to see if we cannot take care of any of them. That leaves the general, Ryuu, and Chiyuki to take care of this room. Can you three handle that?"

"Can Superman fly?" asked Jean-Claude in return.

They nodded, and the rest of the Hand went on, and left the other three to take care of that room. After a quick scan of things, they figured out who the humans were, and they would operate their plans again. At this, Jean-Claude attached a 60 round drum clip and said, "Go."

The humans on the dance floor were being unknowingly guided to an area in the back, and they did not realize that they were about to become a part of a terrible blood orgy. However, they were not to get that far. As quick as the wind, vampires were being blown aside as two blurs were plucking out and then returning for the humans in the room. They extracted about 15 in all, put them all to sleep outside, and erased their memories. Once the confusion was setting in, Jean-Claude stepped in and allowed the confused undead see just who it was that entered. Some were defiant, but many eyes opened in stark terror as to who stood there. His reputation had indeed preceded him, and the legends that had been told about him only made him more feared. One cried out, "KILL HIM!" but that was as far as he got, as Jean-Claude started spraying. The loud report could barely be heard over the music, but the effects were just as harsh as the high caliber round was wreaking havoc in the crowd. Others tried to approach him before he could turn to them, but his own speed, although not like Ryuu and Chiyuki's was formidable as well. He shifted out while striking some as they passed. He then continued to attack. When the drum ran out, he pulled out the saber and started to attack that way. When others tried to escape, they met their ends at the hands of Ryuu and Chiyuki. As was stated, no one was getting out alive except for the victim humans.



Upstairs, the others could hear the commotion and screaming, but they had problems of their own. Yet, the rest of the Hand moved with the precision of a special strike force. Each one was checking their danger corners and covering one another's "six." Romulus and Remus were impressed at this, and they would have put them as an even match for the elite eight any day of the week. Because their tactics were so good, they were able to move swiftly and fluidly. They hit room after room, taking out troops as they went. These weren't the others downstairs, these were trained professionals. Yet, they had never faced anything like this. As they went, it became clear that this indeed was the main base of Vlad's efforts there. If they were able to hit this, because they would no longer have leadership, they would scatter into the night. The Beowulfs could come back to New York later and aid the Clan in finding all the undead and giving them an option: live in the Bund and recognize the new queen, or be destroyed. They could not risk any rogue factors still floating out there causing problems. The one problem was finding the headman. They were certain they had cleared out every room, but they could not find him. That worried Karin, and she said, "I don't like this. Those three are alone. If he can change like that one woman..."

Remus cut in and said, "They all can do that-all vampires can, and I assume you can as well."

Karin thought for a moment, and remembered what happened when her parents had attempted to use and ancient ritual and turn Karin into afull vampire. Even though it was the wrong ritual, because her family was blindsided, and she thought they were dead, she became enraged and took on avicious form. It was not hideous by any stretch, but it was...well...different. She then said, "I remember this one time...well, we don't have time for that, but I see what you mean. That makes me more worried."

Hondo then said, "It's secure up here, let's get down there!"

Romulus then said, "I need some help here. We have to destroy all these records, and then figure out a way to torch the place without it burning down the borough."

Kenta and Victor volunteered for that, leaving Hondo, Karin, and Anjou to go join their leader. As they left, they found a large meeting room, piled up all the papers, and prepared to torch it all. In the meantime, Remus was making a call.



Downstairs, it was quiet, but they heard the approach of others in heavy boots. "That's them!" screamed one man, "Those are the traitors! You all are going to pay dearly for this! None of you are leaving here alive!"

Chiyuki laughed a harsh belly laugh and said, "You are sadly mistaken!"

She began to vamp out, and not to the point of showing atrue form, but enough to make them take a step back. Ryuu was doing the same, while Jean-Claude said, "Surrender, and we might give you mercy and a chance to get out of this mess. Do it not, and you damn yourselves!"

"Don't make me laugh, Day Walker!" he snapped as the troops were moving in, "You are no match for us!"

"Famous last words!" said Jean-Claude, as he felt his weapon hit his hand. Chiyuki had taken the time to reload the drum with her amazing speed while the headman and his men were distracted. He whipped it around and started to fire. Within seconds, 10 of the 30 there were ash, and the other two started to move in. When the remaining 20 decided to move in, that is when the others flanked them and started the slaughter. Jean-Claude shouldered the weapon and pulled out the saber lest he hit someone in the fray. However, the headman, seeing the tide turn against him, started to try to leave, and ran smack into Karin. "Where are you going?" she said, "Don't you want to dance with a pretty girl."

The headman himself had a lead pipe, but he was able to wield it like a sword and decided to demonstrate why he was able to do this. With that, the pair clashed. The fight was fast and furious, but Karin was proving a skilled fighter thanks to all the years with Jean-Claude and Hondo. However, she was forced into what was once the killing floor of the slaughterhouse, and the headman was trying to use the open space to his advantage. Yet, Karin kept frustrating him no end. He became so enraged that he began to take on his true form, and he began to rip out of his own clothes, taking on the form of a hideous ape. With that he became stronger and faster, and Karin had all she could do to keep up. That was when he came across her ribs with the pipe and it knocked her across the room. It was certain every rib on that side was crushed, and puncturing many organs with it. The pain was great; however, that she began to lose sense of control, and pure emotion was taking over. Jean-Claude, however, had taught her how to turn what many in the realm of combat have said is past the point of condition black, (over 170 heart beats per minute,) into a combative form instead of "fight or flight." Her eyes then began to glow purple, her fangs lengthened, and blood began to rapidly heal the damage as a pair of red bat-like wings emerged from her bodysuit. She hissed, and said, "NOW YOU DIE!"

He had heard of the living vampire, but he did not know they were capable of that. Because her change was what it was, he instantly found out, and too late, that he was making the mistake of taking on a pure blood. Her sword had been lost across the room, but at this stage, she didn't need it! With a mighty leap, she was on top of him, clawing him and beating him into a bloody pulp.



They were just mopping things up when they heard the shriek, and they all went to see what the problem was. When they entered the killing floor, they all stood there stunned-even Chiyuki-at this sight. She stood on the chest of the headman on all fours, lapping up the leaking blood like a dog, and then looked up and smiled at them with a blood stained chin. Kenta had once told Hondo of this, but this was the first he had seen it, and he wondered what it was this man did to get her so riled. What was worse was that he was still alive. Chiyuki landed in front of him and said, "Hello, nice to be killing you now!"

A saber came across his neck, and Jean-Claude held it there, saying, "I would rather get some info out of him first!"

Anjou was leading Karin off, speaking softly to her, trying to calm her down as the rest went to work. Jean-Claude then whispered in his ear, "Normally, I would feed, but I don't like rotten food!"

About five remaining guards came out with the intent of trying to rescue their boss, but Chiyuki grinned and stabbed her katana through the head of a charging fighter, saying, "You come any closer and your big boss man ends up like him," indicating the man with a hole through his head before his body ashed. That stopped the rest in their tracks, but Hondo said, "Sorry, but we have strict orders."

He then opened up with his MP-5 and finished the rest. Jean-Claude then said, "I suggest you listen to the little lady here, because she really wants you all dead, and I'm very close to letting her go for it!"

Chiyuki smirked and nodded. The headman began to smirk at this despite his beaten state and spouted off, "You think you're so superior! We can create an army in hours!"

Jean-Claude picked him up by his tattered jacked and slammed him to the wall, saying, "And the Clan would have them gone in seconds! Now TALK! WHO RUNS THIS HOUSEHOLD?"

"He lives far away," he said, realizing his doom, "He's trying to gather the scraps and recreate what you and the other day walker destroyed. Your Doom Comes! No one can aid you now!"

He then started into a Creole rant, at which Jean-Claude said,"Chiyuki, you can do what you like with him."

He dropped the undead to the ground in disgust and walked away. Chiyuki picked up her sword and pressed it to his neck, which hushed him almost instantly. "I will kill you, The Red Devil takes your life!" she said, and then decapitated him. Jean-Claude then looked around, and for the first time was realizing what he was seeing. All over there were satin covered mats everywhere, and in several strategic spots there were brazen cauldrons. Leaning next to these were odd looking devices. They were ring shaped, with asection at the top missing. On either side of the break was a point that looked like it was designed to puncture and stay in whatever it punctured. From there it was shaped in such a fashion as to create a funnel. At the bottom, it came to a funnel shaped point that looked like it was designed to concentrate and pour out fluids. He then looked up and saw the chains that were dangling over the cauldron, and he began to realize, and very sickly so, what was going to happen in here. He had seen many different forms of evil in his live, but not even the Inquisition or any of the households ever went to this extent. Knowing how some got an extreme sexual thrill out of feeding, he then realized that this room was set up for a blood orgy in kinds of depravity that made Babylon and Rome look like a bunch of armatures. By this point, the others had joined him, and they sat stunned at the sight. The pair then said,"We've seen this before in the nobles that live in Russia. They..."

"I figured it out," said Jean-Claude, grimly, "Let's go."

However, Romulus stuck his nose into the air and said, "Wait, there are others!"

They followed the pair, and found cattle stalls that were converted into makeshift holding cells. Inside, however, he saw the "cattle", but they were not human at all. In fact, they all stared at them in terror, and each one had a third eye in the middle of their foreheads!"

"Oh...my...God..." was all that Jean-Claude could say at the sight. He was beyond emotion at this point, and just said, "Let them out, and ask them what we can do for them."

He then walked away to check on Karin. Everyone who saw this had never seen him like this before, but the only thing they could detect was that he was so enraged that he was beyond expressing it. If there was a new war, Jean-Claude was going to be the one to declare it.