Chapter 4: Embrace 1-4

In hindsight, I didn't know why I was so confident.

My only experience fighting was the occasional bar fight. I was no boxing champion or martial artist. The only sports I'd participated in had been gymnastics and occasionally basketball, but never anything fighting-oriented. I sized the Sabbat thug up before I fought him. He was taller and lankier than I was - which was pretty tall and lanky. He also had claws and what looked like a tire iron, which would make things more complicated. But I also saw what Jack meant. He was wounded, riddled with bullet holes and there was a nasty cut around his stomach.

It didn't matter in the end because he had me on my ass in about five seconds.

I hit the ground. Hard. And it hurt. The thug attacked like a savage beast, pounding at my arms with his tire iron. I used the marginal knowledge I had about fighting and put my arms up to protect my face, using the meatier part of my forearms to block the blows. The thug was so strong that, if I wasn't also a vampire, I was convinced he'd have shattered my arms to pieces. He reeled back, and I used the small amount of time I'd had to my advantage. I kicked him in his stomach to push him away, and blood spewed out from his mouth since I'd gotten him right in his wound. He fell back.

Quickly, I got up and used the opportunity to kick him while he was down. There was no point in fighting honorably. I had to use any advantage I could get. Repeatedly, I kicked him in his ribs until I heard a sickening crack. The thug howled in pain, then grabbed me by my foot and suddenly yanked my feet from under me. Again, I hit the ground hard, and the thug struggled to get up, clearly feeling the pain. I saw the same electrical aura that engulfed Jack earlier engulf him, and I knew that probably meant he was going to smash me into a fine paste.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" I yelled, narrowly dodging out of the way as the monster punched the ground where I was, creating a sound like a car slamming into concrete at full speed and leaving a very visible crack. If I got hit, then my afterlife would be very short.

I scurried out of the way of another blow, then took off running away. If I was going to have any chance of survival, I had to create distance between myself and this beast. I looked back and saw that he was lifting one of the crates from the pile, and I threw myself down as he threw the crate faster than an NBA pitcher. While I was on the ground, I crawled behind the car.

Okay. I thought. What are my options?

I didn't have a gun, not that I was confident enough in my aim for it to make a difference. If I did, have the ability to summon animals like LaCroix's bodyguard, I didn't know how to, so it wasn't an option worth considering. What, then? I had my fists, and the vampire that was currently charging at me was armed and souped up with whatever ability it is that Jack used. I had no options.

No hope.

Nothing.

Then, I felt something. It wasn't the Beast, no...it was something different. Something without, rather than within. As the Sabbat monster charged at me, I reached out for that power calling to me. I looked out at the thug and held out my hand, as if grasping the power out of the air. And then I felt it. I felt the connection.

Blood.

It rushed through him. It rushed through me. I commanded it, I made it move and contort. Clenching my fist, I grasped the power with all my strength. I seized control of his blood, making it an extension of my body. I didn't know what I could do, but I felt it. Almost intuitively, I knew what to do. So I pulled the blood out of him, forced it out, forced his body to reject it. Mid-charge, the Sabbat vampire keeled over and fell onto his knees, tumbling for a while. He tried to get up, but his knees were weak. The most he could do is kneel as he vomited up all of the blood in his system.

"Ho-lee shit…" I muttered, standing up. The Sabbat vampire was over there vomiting enough to kill a normal person, and I just took the opportunity to attack.

Reaching for his blood again, I engulfed my fists in it, and the crimson covered it all the way to my forearms. It covered my hands and forearms in thick layers, solidifying into a rock-hard substance. I kicked the vampire over so that he was on his back, punching him in the face until it was unrecognizable. He writhed beneath me, unable to move correctly as he was vomiting up blood. With enough hits, he turned into ash. Unfortunately with his projectile vomiting blood, I was practically covered in it from head to toe. The hardened blood gloves I'd created turned back into their liquid form, freely dripping from my hands.

"Fuck's sake." I muttered to myself, standing up.

Walking back to Jack, his eyes were wide as dinner plates once he saw me. I was dripping with blood, and in desperate need for a shower. Hopefully, this training session wouldn't last too much longer.

"Damn, kiddo." He muttered. "Have fun?"

"I did stuff with his blood." I said. "It was...disgusting, but effective."

"Ah, right. Justine was one of those Tremere, so I bet you would be too." Jack muttered. "Interestin'. From what I know, they don't start knowing how to pull tricks with blood…"

"Earth to Jack?" I asked. "Tremere?"

"I'll explain later, kid." Jack said, waving his hand dismissively. "Or it'll be explained to you. One or the other. Well, that's that. It sounds like we got another pack movin' in through. You better head underground, avoid stray bullets."

"Sounds like a good idea."

"Alright," Jack said. "Head down through the basement, through the grate in there.

I walked through the door behind Jack and opened the grate that he told me about. It was bolted shut, but I was strong enough to pry it open with little to no problems. Using the metal ladder, climbed down and walked through the door. In the narrow hallway on the other side, I saw a security guard and froze in place.

"Stop!" He ordered. "Just stay back! Keep your distance…"

I stopped like he said, raising my hands in the universal sign of surrender.

"Now, who the hell are you?" The guard demanded. "You involved with all of this? Because I'm going to radio this all in and SWAT will be all over this place!"

How was I going to approach this? I didn't just want to slaughter a security guard. Aside from him just being a guy doing his job, there was also the fact that the cops would probably be on my ass. Forensic evidence and all. I had to talk my way out of this, but how? The guard looked young, scared, and pale as death. He was obviously cooped up down here because he was terrified of the gunmen outside.

"No, but if SWAT comes, they'll drive the gunmen down here." I reasoned. "You want that?"

That seemed to take the guard off-guard. Pun not intended. "No. Well, I uh - I left my radio in the Caprice anyway."

God, this guy was horrible at his job.

"Look - I'm just trying to escape, is there another way out?" I asked.

"Y-Yeah. Okay, alright - this way." He told me. "This'll lead us up to the warehouse, we can maybe sneak out that way."

I went silent for a moment to listen. My senses extended out from the hallway to the sounds of gunshots and general wanton violence outside. If he went out there with me, he'd drag me down and he'd die. I couldn't have that.

"You better stay here." I said. "It's too dangerous for you."

And with that, I walked through the door into the other room. Standing near a pipe was another one of the Sabbat thugs. I closed the door behind myself and moved slowly and silently, I moved behind him and wrapped an arm around his throat. He struggled, but I used all of my strength to snap his neck. It was over as quickly as it started, and he turned to dust at my feet.

Jack came out from the same door as me. Once he was within earshot, he said, "Not sure what's goin' on. Sounds like the Sabbat's gettin' scattered."

"Finally, some good news tonight." I said.

"It ain't over yet, kiddo. I'm gonna keep an ear to the ground. Be careful goin' forward here...could be a whole mess of 'em holed up." He advised me.

"Great." I sighed. "Just my luck."

I lockpicked the nearby door open and advanced through. Keeping low, I moved through the next room, unable to see any Sabbat with me, but I wasn't sure. Yet again, I extended my senses beyond myself, but this time I focused on sight. My vision blurred for a slight moment, and then became clear. I could see the silhouette at the far end of the room, through the pipes, engulfed in a strange, red aura. Is this another one of my abilities? Slowly, I moved towards the figure and maneuvered around the pipe, snapping the Sabbat thug's neck and turning him to ash.

"I think they're clearin' out." Jack said. I turned my head and saw he came in after me. "There's no need to go stirrin' up the hornets' nest 'till we know the score, though."

I nodded. "Is there a way out?"

Jack nodded. "That door behind ya, leads to a hallway. There should be an elevator. Go through and I'll meet you in the nearby hallway."

"Got it." I said. "If I'm not there in ten minutes, call the president."

I walked through the hall and into a room filled with wooden boxes as well as two Sabbat thugs. Once I got close to them, I reached out to their blood and took control as I did outside of the building, forcing it all out of their bodies. They began to violently projectile vomit any blood they'd consumed, falling to their knees and turning into dust rather quickly. I was beginning to like that power, whatever it was.

Walking into the other room, I was immediately caught by the guard.

"Freeze!" He yelled.

I tried to say something, but he took out his gun and immediately began shooting. I threw myself to the side to get out of the way of his aim. Unfortunately, it didn't look like he was interested in talking. He was probably too spooked with all of the crazies crawling around the building. Still, I couldn't kill him. He was just doing his job. He was an innocent, and I would be damned if I let the Beast take even another ounce of control.

For a split second, the guard and I made contact. I held up my hand as if to stop him, and shouted, "Wait!"

The guard's eyes glazed over, and suddenly his arms went limp. He dropped the gun and stared straight ahead, as if he was just placed under hypnosis. I raised an eyebrow and got up, moving towards him and waving my hand in front of his eyes. He was completely entranced.

"This is amazing." I said to myself. "I can compel people...of course I can."

I cleared my throat. "Now, guard, fuck off."

The guard unzipped his pants. My eyes widened in horror.

"No, no! I don't mean - I mean leave!" I said quickly.

The guard simply walked away, moving as if he were a zombie of some kind.

I advanced into the next room and saw Jack standing by a wet floor sign. He looked amused as ever once I approached him, laughing even.

"What's so funny?" I asked.

"Fuckin' humans, man. Gangbangers 'protectin' their turrf'." He said with a wide grin. "I'm here thinkin' it's Sabbat movin' up in here...it's the fuckin' locals about to take one for the hood."

I exhaled. It was somewhat relieving to not be dealing with vampires, at least. It made me wonder what happened to the Sabbat, but I said nothing in fear of bringing them back into the equation. Hey, if weird blood magic and vampire hypnotism existed, then I couldn't see why "speaking things into existence" wouldn't.

"Right." I said. "So what do we do?"

"Shit, they've prolly seen too much. Here." Jack handed me a small gun with a white handle. It was a revolver of some kind. "Take this thirty-eight. Fuckin' peashooter, but a few shots and that'll take down a human."

I raised my eyebrows. Normally, the prospect of killing another person - a criminal - would have me terrified. But then I heard something deep within me, the Beast growling and scratching at the surface of my mind from whatever pit it came from. It urged me to destroy, to rip those bastards a new one. Why shouldn't I? I had a shitty enough night. Cracking a few skulls and ripping out a few entrails could be entertaining, and I deserve that much.

Shuddering, I shoved the thoughts into the back of my mind. I didn't want to do all of that, but I did understand I'd have to kill them if I wanted to get out of here. At the thought of killing them, I didn't feel anxiety or anything...I felt nothing. Like I'd be killing ants.

"Thanks." I said. I wasn't exactly confident in my ability to aim, but I wouldn't tell Jack that.

"Well,I'm gonna want it back, so don't die and lose it." Jack said. "I don't use guns much. They're noisy, they're clumsy, practically useless against vampires. But still, a Kindred's gotta keep up with the times, and in modern day L.A, that means comin' strapped."

"Useless against vampires?" I asked. "I thought shotguns were one of our weaknesses?"

"Well yeah, some are more lethal than others, of course." He said. "Shotguns can smart, I tell ya."

I nodded. "One thing we have in common with the humans, eh? Weakness to shotguns."

Jack chuckled. "Hey, head up and clear out what's left of 'em. Can't have them runnin' their mouths about any o' this. I'm gonna make sure there's no stragglers running around outside."

I nodded and checked the chamber of the gun to see if there were any bullets. It was full. I had six shots. I was probably going to fuck around and miss all of them.

"Alright." I said.

I went through the elevator into a room where boxes were stacked up to the ceiling in metal shelves. Once I walked in, a rather panicked-looking thug sprinted towards me with a baseball bat in hand. Quickly, I aimed as best as I could. He was moving too much for me to get him in the head, so I nabbed him in the shoulder. There was a loud bark sound as the gun fired, the bullet drilling straight through his shoulder. That stopped the thug in his tracks, and I took the opportunity to feed.

I tackled him and sunk my fangs into his neck. He tasted a lot better than the homeless man, that was for sure, but still not as good as the guy in the empty lot. I drank from him until he stopped moving, quieting the urging of the beast within.

Gunshots came from around me, and I quickly took cover behind some of the boxes. The thug moved around the shelf to get a better shot, but I reached within his body. Commanding his blood was much easier, and soon he was purging it all over the floor. Another thug ran towards me with a bat, but I reached for the blood that the thug was throwing up, forming them and hardening them into three hard spikes with my mind.

The spikes impaled the thug through the chest and head, killing him instantly. As soon as he hit the floor, the blood spikes I'd created melted back into liquid blood. I stood up, muttering, "See? Don't even need a gun when I have magic bullshit." I stuffed my new gun in the waistband of my jeans, hiding it beneath my red shirt. Walking around California obviously holding a packing was a death sentence.

I walked towards the elevator and saw Jack walk through.

"I've dealt with them." I said. "That's it?"

"That's it, kiddo." Jack confirmed. "Just like that and it's all over. Everyone sinks back to their corners of the city for the night."

I nodded. Even though I'd done quite a bit over the night, I wasn't tired, not in the slightest. I felt well-rested, as if I'd just awakened from a deep slumber. The only thing I felt was thirsty.

"So it's all over." I mused.

"Until the next night, when the Camarilla finds some way to strike back." He explained. "Parry, dodge, spin n' all that. And so on, and so on, and so on…"

That sounded exhausting. "So...this is normal?"

"Well, to be honest, you came at a, well, an interesting time, let's say. The Camarilla, the Sabbat...well, in LA these are the new kids on the black." Jack said. "There's already plenty o' Kindred had stakes down in California long before them.

"Now? We got every ancient Kindred rivalry playin' out all over the city. Lotta tension out there. Lotta fear. Lotta jittery, high-strung predators clingin' to their little pieces of eternity."

"You're losin' me here, Jack." I said.

He opened his mouth to say something, but I heard beeping outside. Jack turned his gaze behind himself. "Oh boy. Well, I think they're lookin' for you outside; guess you got a cab to catch. Was hopin' to fill you in on a little more but...ah hell, you'll figure it all out."

I wasn't sure if I liked the sound of "figuring it all out", but it looked like I didn't have much of a choice either way.

"I would. Oh - uh...here's your gun." I said, handing him the gun.

"Keep it, kid. Changed my mind. You'll need it more than I do." Jack said. "If you make it back, stop in at the Last Round - it's this bar downtown here - I'll fill you in on the politics. Now that's the stuff that'll kill ya."

"I'll see you-" - Jack turned around, his visage blurring. In a blink, he was gone. "-...there?"

I walked out of the building and found a black car parked at the sidewalk, waiting for me. The windows were blacked out, so I couldn't see who was driving. I walked to the back and opened it, getting inside. We drove for a while, and I looked outside, thinking.

Jesus Christ, Algernon. I thought to myself. What did you get yourself into?