He had heard the approaching bikes just as he’d reached the dirt track. Dirt bikes judging by the rough, guttural engine noise. Grendel relocated his ammunition clips for his pistol. Very accurate and with good penetration, the Steyr-Aug M-Series had already proven itself in his confrontation at the tree with Porter. Pulling his pouch round, bringing it more within reach, he pulled back the sleeve of his bodysuit, revealing a black plastic panel. Tapping it brought up an LED display. He tapped the panel again, speaking softly into an unseen microphone.

“Car.” In the distance, a digital display in his car lit up. The display was in letters.

“Listening.”

“Activate proximity defences. In event of shell breach, self detonate.” The words were repeated in digital letters on the screen. A silent reply blinking once.

“Confirmed.”

Alekz/Grendel scanned the forest ahead and to his right. The engine noise intensified. He sweeped his field of vision in their direction. Cursing as the headlights shone into the night-vision lenses. Seven of them, accelerating towards the car’s location in a delta formation. He strapped a small row of globes to his right arm and started sprinting towards them. He didn’t know that underfoot something angry and primal surged.


+++++++++++++++++++++++


He felt the presence of others pass over head.

Anger and frustration clouded his mind. He forced himself forward, as his rage grew the ground began to heave in his wake, leaving “Bugs Bunny” style tracks to his movement. He sensed the excited signs of a Vampire ahead, he didn’t pay heed to the fact that the vampire was riding a dirt bike. Ripping up through the topsoil he uncoiled into the surrounding branches, rope-like he reached down, becoming more “human” as the Vampire rider came into range. Blindly he snaked out his clawed arms and grabbed the young Kindred from his seat.

“What the...? Nooooo!!”

The Kindred’s screams almost dismounted his colleagues in panic. They spun on their rear wheels, looking back as something terrible, something inhuman tore their companion apart. Porter pulled and rended. The Kindred screamed obscenities in terror and pain as the feral Gangrel released a little anger.

“Uhhh isn’t he supposed to be on [i:4c6c2be2c3]our[/i:4c6c2be2c3] side?”

The beta rider choked back the urge to vomit as ribbons of glistening meat that used to be a rider, hung wetly from the tree as the Gangrel feasted.

“He is. I think he just has [i:4c6c2be2c3]issues[/i:4c6c2be2c3].” Alpha smirked. He spoke into his headset.

“Mars? Omega is down. I repeat Omega is down. Mr. Uhh Porter had a slight anger problem.”

In the safety of his manor, Gabriel smiled with apparent amusement before his face turned deadly serious.

“Understood Alpha. I want the intruder found. I don’t want any more excuses. Oh and Alpha?”

“Yes sir?”

“I’ll take the damage done, and the reparation costs required, to the old perimeter fence out of your salary.”

Alpha frowned inside his helmet. He worded his confusion soundlessly.

“How the hell..?”

The engines roared again as the remaining bikers headed to the car. Pausing one hundred yards from its sleek, dark form.

“You two. Check it out.” Alpha sent two of the riders forward. Covering them with a cone firing arc. Each armed with MP5’s.

The duo hesitated as they neared the car. They hesitated further still when the car started making noises. Armour plating suddenly slid out from under the chassis, curving up and over the shell of the car, encasing it.

“Sir?” Both looked back at Alpha, who shrugged and nodded them onward.

The car grumbled as motors began to whir inside. The two Kindred reached out tentatively, tapping the plating with their guns. The car, if it could, would have shrugged.

Inside the display lit again as it registered Alekz’ approach. Silently it sent tactical data to his wrist panel.


+++++++++++++++++++++++


Alekz crouched, hidden by the slope of a ditch he took one of the globes from his arm. Tapping it before throwing it into the tree-line behind the bikers.

The explosion lit up the area. Like a beacon, the bikers leapt from their bikes in alarm. Firing off several rounds before realising it was a false alarm. The two by the car scattered into the underbrush. Splitting up against better judgement, one of them met final death quickly. Alekz swung upside down from a branch, spearing the Kindred with a stake, before pushing the second globe into his mouth. As he ran clear of the explosion the others saw the flash and adopted a wide firing arc.

The Kindred lay headless, in fact only his legs were intact. The rest scattered around the shrubbery in chunks. The second Kindred in blind panic ran into an old rusted bear trap. Screaming as he tried in vain to push the strong, rusted jaws open.

Alekz unholstered the pistol and took careful aim at one of the bikes. Emptying a clip into the gas tank until it exploded spraying the area with burning gas. Loading another clip, then another he destroyed two more of the bikes in rapid succession.

Alpha looked at Beta, as Beta looked back. Both helmeted faces frowning in disbelief.

"Who the hell is this guy? James Bond?"

((well, despite what my ICQ may have said, I won't be posting until tomorrow, which is Sunday. my advanced apologies! it's a busy weekend, but thankfully afterwards I'll have some time to post.

The two figures cyclists threw themselves in opposite directions, each frantically clawing at their respective weapons. Within moments, spats of gunfire lit up the backroad and shredded the foliage to mere confetti. As the smoke wafted away in the breeze, the two lay several feet apart, staring into the darkness, trying to locate their "prey". A light scent of gunpowder stung their noses, as both Kindred rose to their feet.

Beta rider removed his helmet and threw it aside, allowing it to land on the gravel road and spin into the ditch beside it. The road itself was littered with flaming debris of the car, the fire casting an eerie partial lighting. As Beta moved forward towards the treeline he signaled for Alpha to cover him. Beads of glistening blood sweat streaked down his forehead, sparkling regally before falling to the dust below.

Several branches from an overhanging oak tree rumbled slightly, sending leaves sprawling to the ground. Immediately, both Ventrue enforcers opened fire on the tree, layering it with ammunition. The heavy explosions of Alpha's automatic shotgun echoed far into the surrounding hills.

When all was finally silent again, Beta moved slightly closer. Alpha watched in terror as a figure emerged from the darkness behind Beta and deftly slit his throat. The Ventrue gurgled frantically, his weapon clattering to the ground. Alekzandre moved past the fallen Kindred, implanting the dagger deep into the chest of his victim as he passed, effectively staking him.

"STOP!" Alpha cried, firing several vollies at the figure. The target proved far more challenging than anticipated, and the shots strayed from their destination.

The remaining guard threw his own helmet to the ground, revealing a pale face with thick black hair working as a frame. Within seconds the Ventrue assassin was upon him, delving into his body time after time with a single gleaming blade.

Alpha, or Tim as his master called him, cried out in pain, his hand moving on it's own towards his attacker's face. Alekz swatted the hand away and continued to plunge the blade into Tim's gut, warm blood spewing forth from the wounds.

It provided just enough distraction for Martin Porter to sneak up behind Alekz and deliver a powerful blow to the back of his skull. Alekzandre Thaine slumped to the ground, Tim quickly following....

((it's pure shlock, but it's 1:30 AM and i desperately wanted to post :/

{{And I'm supposed to escape from this [i:632f49d81f][b:632f49d81f]how[/b:632f49d81f][/i:632f49d81f] exactly? Hmmm? lol!

((give it time, perhaps the oppurtunity will present itself...

Adelphi sat in the branches of the tree, his tiny humanlike hands hooking around a branch as he sat watching the spectacle below him.
He had delevered the note to Mr. Gabriel O' Briens study as instructed and had been on his way back to his mistress when the roar of motorbikes made him stop in his tracks.

His keen eyes watched as the large bloodsoaked man walked detemindley towards Gabriel's haven, a body dressed in black slung over his shoulder.
He closed his eyes and whispered his mistresses name, wanting her to see what was unfolding.

.................................................................

Reannag's eyes fluttered as she slept, her once dreamless sleep now taken over by what Adelphi could see. Although dark she could see him......porter his naked body covered in blood, a body slung over his shoulder. Opening her eyes she whispered to the monkey, their minds were linked telepthetically, and although she could only give him very short commands she smiled as what she saw changed as he climbed further down the tree, eager to show her what she had asked off him.

"Alekz" she whispered a she saw his body closer, the goggles that he once wore now slung around his neck.
Reannag watched as they drew nearer to the building.
"Adelphi.....talk to the large one, tell him he has to let the other go...tell him to think back to when he was with his pack"

Reannag closed her eyes and linked with the monkey there minds calling out softly to porter.
"porter....porter......listen....."

Porter looked round startled as the voice drifted to him.

Porter didn’t quite believe that a monkey was telling him to relax. He believed the second voice was Reannag’s even less. But as the combination of Lasombra and primal instinct filtered into his head he felt his limbs go heavy. His mouth opening, panting as he dropped the stirring body of the Ventrue assassin.

“What the..?” Porter growled, shaking the cloudiness from his head, the faint scent of cinnamon filling his increasingly lupine nostrils. He shrugged off the wolf shirt that had started covering his back, snarling as the Ventrue staggered to his feet.

Alekz pulled a capsule from his pouch, snapping it before throwing it at the befuddled Gangrel.

Pain! Burning! Porter yowled as the ammoniac gas filled his nose, burning his eyes. He turned seizing an approaching member of Gabriel’s Bike-hounds. Blinded momentarily, again!

He threw the biker against a tree as he cleared his eyes of the acrid mist. Bounding off in the direction of the shielded car. Alekz ran, weakened from the pounding, and the expenditure of blood in his battle with the hunters. Tapping his wrist he spoke gutturally, his throat narrowing with thirst.

“Car. Shields down. Ignition.” Yards ahead the car purred instantly to life, the shields retracting, folding under the shell as he tripped thudding off the door.

Porter roared, guards now following him back towards the car. Suppressed machine gun fire peppering the trees and thudding into the loam at Alekz’ feet. He screamed as several bullets thudded close, one ripping into his calf. Pulling himself into the car he thudded the door closed.

“Car. Self-acceleration.” He paused, gritting his teeth with the pain in his leg. “I’ll steer.”

The car happily responded, kicking up dirt as it found some traction in the loose topsoil. He spun the wheel, reversing into a 180º spin as bullets shrieked around the car. The rear windshield shattering as the guards found their target. Porter bellowed, running after the car, his claws snaring the rear bumper as Alekz frantically drove on.

He saw the enraged beast tearing his way onto the roof of the boot. Turning he spoke calmly, false bravery of course, as he pulled the pistol from its holster.

“Car, take over for a minute.” The car swerved a moment as the gap between driver and passenger was crossed. Alekz turned to face the froth-faced Gangrel, raising the pistol to Porter’s face and emptying the chamber.

Porter spun, dazed at the stranger’s audacity. Shaking blood from his face he roared raising his claws. Alekz fired again, and again, and again in rapid succession. The impacts throwing Porter into a blind spiral onto the dirt as the powerful car roared off in defiance.

“Car. Vauntmere. Take the rear approach.”

Alekz lay back in the seat, the car’s electronic guidance system carrying him home. Taking a syringe from his dashboard compartment he injected the crimson contents into his heart. His throat rasping as the vitae injection flooded his systems.

“Damn it Alekz! You got sloppy!” He cursed himself as the car bumped over the threshold, travelling silently into the estate.

The tiny chimes drifted from the music box, attempting to fill the void of the silent room. The box itself, opened and possibly older than Gabriel himself, still spun the miniscule dancer jerkily as it played it's simple ballad.

In the dim lamplight, Gabriel stared wordlessly, merely content for the moment to sit and enjoy the relative peace and serenity of the scene. A gruff "ahem" interupted the tranquility, and Gabriel found himself addressing the tattered Gangrel once more. As the wooden lid shut on the music box, Gabriel leaned backwards in his chair replacing the soft tune with an agonizing creak that he somehow never found the time to fix, by chance or perhaps by purpose.

"Well Mr. Martin, from the stories I've heard I must admit I expected much more from you." The room was decorated a bit less extravigantly than the rest of the house, being dedicated simply to paperwork for Gabriel's understudies. Paintings, mostly unassuming figures from past decades gone by, peppered the deep crimson walls. Black and white photographs, carefully cut to exclude Gabriel's image, sat in sequence, apparently unaffected by the passing of time.

The room was small, but it served as a getaway. Even Ventrue needed to experience some amount of coziness at times. As the fire snapped and popped, the Gangrel murmured.

"I'm sorry Mr. Martin, I didn't hear you..." Gabriel said quietly between laced fingers, knowing full well the Gangrel KNEW he had heard.

"I will find out who he was and I'll retrieve him." he growled, his jaw clamped tightly. Gabriel waved him off half-heartedly.

"That won't be necessary, you've more than proved your incompetance in the matter. Not only did you fail to capture our intruder, but you cost me the unlives of several valuable employees."

"I didn't..."

"The issue is closed Mr. Martin. I will send a team out to find and capture our "friend", you may return to your duties around the estate." Gabriel turned and faced the window, which framed a patch of forest, the dirt road just visable near the edge. Porter stormed out, and Gabriel felt a slight relief wash over him.

It was risky business insulting a Gangrel, especially one as powerful as Porter. However, in his "refined" state, Porter was more easily dealt with. He was not as brash and crude as he once was, and instead of reacting to insults with violence, he apparently retaliated with the urge to prove himself.

Doubtlessly, he would be passing the team gearing up in the garage right now, each figure filling him with unimaginable rage. The Ventrue plucked the phone up from his desk and dialed.

"Mr. Nash...do you see Mr. Martin? No, don't stop him. Cancel those orders Mr. Nash, your teams services won't be necessary. Very well." Tossing the phone aside he moved towards the east side of the room, pulling the curtain aside from the window. Outside, amid naked trees, Porter scurried into the woods.

Peeking above the treetops, the lights of the city loomed ahead of him....

she smiled slightly as she watched him run down the driveway,her heart aching at the same time. she had ultimately betrayed him ..the one who had always been there for her, the one who she could talk to whatever was going on in her unlife with the knowledge that he would not critcicise her.

"Im sorry porter, but I had to do it " she whispered as she waited for Adelphi to come back , her mind whirling wondering why the gangrel had been so easy to overcome.

Her eyes closed as she latched into his memories, a shack in the middle of the forest and .....,,She gasped as she opened her eyes the heartache that he kept hidden filling her body .

Estrella smiled as she looked at the photos that he had brought her of the little one...her jacob.

"I dont understand, the papers are ready, you could have him here with you tomorrow eve, why have you suddenly changed your mind Rea?"

She looked up at him, the shawl she wore wrapped tight around her as she sat in front of the fire, her fingers delicately touching the picture of the one she loved with all her heart.

"things have happened since I last spoke to you and I have a task to do and I dont want to risk the childs life, not even for my own selfish reasons"

((just a short bit so i dont forget about this thread lol you can add if you want alekz :) but be good lololololololol

((i'll gladly post on this Mandi, but what do you want me to post?

((see your pms gaybe:):)

Estrella looked in the mirror and moved the soft silk cowl down over the left hand side of her face and allowed a faint smile to spread across her pale face.

Hopefully Gabriel would show up tonight and she was also hoping that he would turn up alone, she had no desire to have it be known that she was in the city unnanounced, although she knew he was still seneschal and that he took his job very seriously but perhaps their friendship would be stronger than that.

Estrella stepped out of the haven and began the walk to the outskirts of the city, the cold dark air hitting her and absently she breathed it into her body. She had no need for the air but the mere exercise of doing it gave her pleasure of a sort.

Her footsteps echoed lightly on the cobbles and her mind drifted back to happier times spent in the city, all of them now marred by the past and slightly tarnished by what would no doubt happen in the future. Cascadia was it seemed , in trouble, her master had told her that, and had in fact taken delight in it, it meant that it was all the more easier to be overrun by others.

The lights of the street no longer made her hide in the shadows but she strode confidently down the sidewalk, her eyes meeting anyones who dared to look at her.
Her dark blue trouser suit rustled as her feet moved swiftly along , eager to get to the cafe royal bar.

He sat silently in the gaudy, ostentatious lights of cafe. His static face and form unchanging to the events around him. He merely hunched himself over an untouched cup of coffee, ordered merely for vanity's sake. His hair was a mess, tangled and clumped, it swayed with the opening and closing of the door and threatened to bathe in the coffee.

The cafe itself was filled with supercilious Kine, convinced fully that they were above average intelligence. They wore turtle-necks and long sideburns. Thick, 50's style glasses were sported by several of the men, as they attempted to reject 'popular' culture. Gabriel neither kept up with popular fashion, nor did he care. His personal stylist would attend to those matters in due time.

Finally moving from his statue-like pose, he brought the short note that had been delivered to his study several nights before. He waited on his guest, curious to her health and dealings within the past few months....

((soz it's so short

"Gabriel?"

Estrella looked questioningly at the figure hunched over the cup of coffee, the once immaculate hair now hanging limply around his face.
As he looked up at her she frowned the once proud ventrue face that she had grown to love like a brother now seemed lifeless.

estrella moved to sit down onto the chair next to him, her hands pulling the cowl closer around her face.

"I think my choice of meeting place was not a good one, perhaps you would prefer somewhere else more in keeping with your clan?"

estrella smiled as he lifted his head and looked at her.

((thx hun, i'll post tonight, but it'll be awhile. have one of those REALLY long days ahead of me. current time is 7:07 AM and i've been here at work since 6:30. work till 3, have Bio class at 3:30 lasting till 7. Then i have to get to the gym for two hours and after that have to go to Pac Sun (American clothing chain) and Blockbuster (Video store) and pay my bills. THEN and only then, will I be free to post.