The Occultist, Ch06: Hunting

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and works; all other characters and worlds belong to their respective owners. I'm just playing with them.

Betad by Malcolm Tent, priapus, Mike God of Lore, Marethyu, Beans

The Guild of Gamers: The Occult

Chapter 06: Hunting

– Rebecca 'Annie' Anne January (Starlight) –

"Then we have a deal. I will come in and meet with the PRT. If they can meet my requirements I do believe we'll soon be co-workers," Alexander said, nose upturned. He was quite arrogant; that much was clear. "I suggest you tell the Director to keep Armsmaster on a short leash."

"I can't believe you're offering to join up for a date," Annie sighed, amused despite herself as he chuckled.

"I've done my research; as long as the PRT can meet my needs, then it is my best choice," Alexander explained with a smile. "I won't join blindly, but at the very least, I will come in for power testing and to meet with the Director," Alexander explained, making her nod. He seemed at first to act on a whim, but he was clearly thinking things through. "Though, not tonight, I think. Sunrise is approaching, and I have business to attend to."

"It's true, then. You can't go out in the sunlight? I thought that was just the PHO being convinced you were a real vampire," Annie asked, making him chuckle again. 

"Unfortunately, it is very true. I both need blood to survive, and count the sun a deadly foe; being caught outside is downright fatal," Alexander admitted, a frown on his handsome face as he looked up at the sky. "I will be in touch, but I don't want to end up stuck in the Rig throughout the day. I'll come in just after sunset in a couple of days or so. I'll message you to give your bosses the heads up."

She couldn't imagine how inconvenient his powers were, but then, he seemed very strong, so his cloud had a silver lining. 

"I'll let Director Piggot and Maeve know; they'll be happy to hear you're coming in," Annie said, making him nod easily. "There's been a considerable amount of panic over the idea of the Empire forcibly recruiting you."

"If there's one thing you should know about me, it's that it is very hard to forcibly make me do anything. I have issues with people telling me what to do," Alexander admitted with a smirk, flashing his pearly fangs.

"I'm sure the Director will love that," Annie joked, making him shrug.

"I'm a powerful cape who is only growing stronger with time. She can accept that I have a few quirks, or she can fuck off. The PRT is my first choice, but they're hardly my only choice. Frankly, you need me more than I need you," Alexander scoffed. Yup, she could already see this ending badly. "Not that I'm not enjoying your company, but time is running short for me. I have some business to take care of before the sun rises, and that deadline is fast approaching. I'll message you," Alexander said, grabbing her by the hips and pulling her in for one last kiss.

He was very forward, but they'd already slept together, and she couldn't say she didn't find him alluring, so she just went with it. Breaking the kiss, he grinned at her as he stepped away. 

"I'll message you about our date later; I'm guessing you'll be asleep during the day?" Annie asked, making him smile.

"Often, yes, but I don't actually need sleep. I sleep to pass the time," Alexander explained. "There's only so many daytime TV shows I can watch until sleeping seems preferable."

Ah, she could understand that. 

Giving her one last short kiss goodbye, he turned and ran. He was unbelievably fast, leaving her alone in an instant. He might be as fast as Velocity, though she wasn't sure. The fact that he could interact with people while moving made him a lot more dangerous than Velocity, at the very least. 

Continuing her patrol of the uncharacteristically silent Merchant territory, she sent a message to console, informing them of her success.

– Sherrel Bailey (Squealer) –

With the only drug that mattered anymore being her crimson ambrosia, she found herself unwilling to spend time with the other merchants as they got high and drunk.

Some of the idiots hoped that she'd be an easy lay with Skidmark gone. They were out of luck because while she wasn't prudish in the slightest, she wouldn't damage his property by letting some junkie fuck her. She needed his approval, and he hated the Merchants for their filth.

She paused as she heard movement in the workshop behind her. Thinking one of the idiots decided not to take no for an answer, she grabbed her wrench and swung it hard.

The moment she turned, she froze as the amused red eyes stared into her soul. Ebon easily gripped her wrist, the wrench falling to the floor. 

"S-sorry, I didn't know you were coming," Sherrel said submissively, head bowed. 

Ebon let her wrist go, giving her an appraising once-over. She was glad she'd showered today, wanting to take better care of herself to get his approval. He hated ugly things; she could feel it through their bond.

"You're cleaning up nicely," Ebon praised, dragging a sharp fingernail across his wrist. "Kneel."

She didn't hesitate, dropping to her knees as he offered the slit wrist. Latching her mouth to it, she made sure not to waste a single drop of the blessing he was granting her.

Her mind cleared, ideas flashing through her head. 

Far too soon, he pulled his arm back, and while the junkie in her wanted to grab it and drink more, she knew she couldn't risk irritating him like that.

"You have done well," Ebon praised, stroking her hair as she stared up at him. "I have your reward; I suggest you pace yourself more this time. My benevolence has its limits," he warned, placing a small bag down.

The crimson vials inside made her heart race and her mouth water.

"Thank you, sir," Sherrel said, her devotion clear. 

"I have a task for you," Ebon said, making her nod quickly. Whatever he wanted. "I am thirsty; prove your devotion and bring me a sacrifice. Someone who won't be missed, preferably female and cleaner than the average Merchant."

"I'll see to it right away," Sherrel promised. She could have one of the prettier hookers brought, cleaned up first and given to Ebon. "Do you want to wait in my bedroom? It's cleaner than the rest of the hideout."

"Yes, that will do. Impress me, Sherrel, and there will be more rewards to come."

– Alexander Shaw –

Biting down on the neck of the woman, I admit that Sherrel works faster than I expected. It barely took her an hour to bring this blood bag to me. The Merchants are responsible for countless deaths; one more won't raise any attention as long as the body is properly dealt with.

Caught up in Mesmerise, the woman doesn't even put up a fight as I drain her. I want to empower myself further before I join the heroes, so I need to up my game. 

Moving through the Merchant hideout was not difficult, not with my most recent upgrade.

[Obfuscate, Discipline of Concealment: Apprentice]

[Mortal Mask]

Allows you to hide the signs of your vampirism temporarily

[Unseen Presence]

Become invisible as long as you do not do anything to draw too much attention.

I've spent a lot of time skulking around, and it has paid off. Being able to move and maintain my invisibility is a powerful upgrade, even if I have to limit myself to mortal speeds and not interact with anyone to make it stick.

"I'll melt the body down. We have some acid for drug-making. Nobody will see the drained body," Sherrel promises, my dominated ghoul showing her utter subservience as I smile at her.

With my blood running through her veins, she looks noticeably better than when I first saw her. My blood has slowly cleared up years of drug use and bad habits, though she still looks rather trashy.

Tiny jean shorts and a white tank top that struggles to contain her breasts, she looks very much like trailer trash. 

"I have another task for you; I need you to grab up a pair of people for me," I say, making her nod immediately. "Celia and Aisha Laborn, Celia is a junkie, likely one of your customers, and Aisha, her daughter. They are to be captured and kept somewhere safe, unharmed."

"Of course, I'll ask around. See who she buys from; I won't let you down," Sherrel swears, making me smile as I wipe the blood from my mouth.

I need more power, and the Undersiders are just a free buffet just waiting to be claimed. I know they have some shadowy boss, but I can't bring myself to care. I won't refuse a feast.

Finding out their identities was easy with my sense of smell, and I could kidnap Grue's family myself, but… I want to test the Merchants and see how useful they can be.

Grue, I hope, will empower my Obtenebration, and why risk fighting a Cape when I can use bait to deal with him? I considered attacking them at their hideout, but Bitch's dogs are annoying, and they can sense me, I swear it.

"Will that be everything, sir?" Sherrel asks, her lust clear as I push the body off the bed. Giving her a look, I make a decision. 

Sitting at the edge of the bed, I crook a finger at her as she rushes forward.

"Kneel, show me your devotion," I command. I'm not going to fuck her; she wants it too much, and delaying it will just push her to work harder for my affection, but my time with Annie left me aroused.

Sherrel doesn't hesitate, and is on her knees between my legs in an instant. Undoing my trousers, she quickly extracts my shaft and pulls her tank top off, spitting down on her cleavage.

She knows her best asset, and before long, my cock is trapped between her pillowy breasts. She makes sure to kiss my cock when it barely pokes out of her cleavage.

She might be trailer trash, but I'm not that picky, and her breasts might just be the biggest I've ever seen. She knows how to use them as well, clearly experienced at spending time on her knees. 

Moving back, she takes my shaft into her mouth with zeal, eager to please me. Having devoted followers again is a nice feeling; it just feels right to have someone so eager to please me at my beck and call.

Leaning back, I just enjoy the moment as she works to pleasure me, feeling her joy at being useful through our bond.

After this, I have more to do. I need my adoring fans, after all. Just Emma and Sherrel aren't enough.

– Zoe Barnes –

"Are you sure this is the place?" Zoe asked her daughter, making Emma roll her eyes as they walked through the gate of the very old-looking mansion grounds.

"Of course, I've been here before, but the company driver brought me," Emma sighed in that typical teenage fashion. "Come on, I don't want to be late."

"Why do I need to come this time?" Zoe asked, looking at her daughter in confusion. She didn't approve of her daughter getting involved in modelling in Brockton Bay, of all places, but Emma seemed to love it, and Alan didn't see any harm.

"You'll see," Emma said excitedly, heading up to the extremely expensive mansion, opening the door without knocking, and entering with a certain familiarity.

Following behind her daughter, she admired the incredibly opulent interior as she wondered why Emma had insisted that she come along to this modelling session. Apparently, they needed parental supervision for something, and Alan was busy at work.

Entering the living room, she paused as she saw an incredibly good-looking man sitting in a chair, a pair of striking red eyes staring right at her.

"I brought her, like you asked," Emma said demurely, her posture submissive as the man just stared.

"Good girl, Emma. Zoe, isn't it?" he asked, making her nod slowly. "Emma has told me much about you, I can see where she gets her looks from. Still, I think you're a little overdressed. Strip."

Something in her mind shouted at her to run, but her hands were already working on her shirt, unbuttoning it slowly. It fell to the floor as Emma preened, sitting on the arm of the chair and cuddling against the man.

Her bra hit the floor, and the rest of her clothes followed shortly.

"She won't be missed until tonight?" he asked, making Emma nod rapidly.

"That's right, Alan is working home late," Emma replied as the man rose. "She's all yours."

"I am Alexander, your new master," Alexander replied, one hand cupping one of her breasts as he smiled darkly, tilting her head up with a single finger under her chin. Biting down on her neck, she felt something inside her break as she came to her senses, slapping him away.

He didn't move, gripping her hand with a cruel smile.

"Wha- what are you?" Zoe asked, covering her breasts with her free hand.

"Emma, if Zoe continues to disobey, take that letter opener and slit your throat," Alexander said, her eyes widening as she watched Emma practically skip over to the small desk. "I am God, as far as you are concerned. Emma's God, and now yours. She'd kill for me, and whether her victim is you or herself makes little difference."

Emma tilted her head up, pressing the blade against her throat hard enough to cut the skin. 

He gripped her chin, forcing her to look into his eyes again as she felt her mind fall into a stupor.

"And I have plans for you, pet," Alexander whispered, stroking her chin with a dark smile. "Let's begin."

– Alexander Shaw – Next Morning –

I've set up a meeting with the PRT on Monday evening, five days from now. I decided to keep them waiting, mostly to show that I can. That gives me five days to empower myself further.

Zoe wasn't a necessary part of my plans; she was simply a… comfort. I do not clean, so I needed a maid. I decided that I disliked Emma having anything but me to adore, so I got to work.

"Your tea, sir," Zoe says, placing my drink down. She got an expedited version of what I did to Emma, a full day of domination and memory alteration. She will serve as my live-in maid in the future.

Well, it makes sense; she needs the job, given her widowed status. Alan's life insurance will help, but she'll need a new source of income. As for Alan? He killed himself by running a red light after being late for work, right into an oncoming truck.

A foolish mistake that ended his life and the life of several others. He will be seen as a fool who died because he was impatient, not the mastered victim he actually was.

Emma's final show of loyalty to me was to sell her mother and be complicit in her father's death. The sacrifice of both parents to her new God, me. Her sister is going to college out of town, but she'll return and decide to stay with her family for support.

As for Zoe? She'll have a large payout thanks to Alan's pre-existing life insurance, but decide to find a job to keep herself busy and take her mind off the loss of her husband. Through a mutual acquaintance, she'll take a job as a maid for a reclusive model.

The timeline is a little out of order, but it should all add up. I know I'm playing with fire; the PRT has entire protocols for Masters, but I will not limit myself to satisfy their need for control.

It is also why I want to speed up my growth; I need to go to the PRT power testing with enough to utterly wow them and scare them. I want them petrified by the idea of me not being a part of their little organisation.

So, when my quirks become more apparent, I'll get more wiggle room. Plus, I need to be strong to make up for my sunlight weakness and my blood reliance.

So, with four teenage capes just hanging around, how could I resist having a snack?

– Brian Laborn (Grue) –

"Our boss had nothing to do with this?" Brian asked, arms crossed as he scowled deeply. 

"No, this isn't him. He's not been doing anything; something has made him extremely paranoid lately," Lisa confirmed. "They're acting on Squealer's orders, but why they'd target your family, I don't know. I don't think they know you are Grue, but without seeing Squealer, I couldn't say more. Maybe Celia pissed off her dealers?"

Dammit, that sounded far too likely. He could let out a small sigh of relief that they didn't know his identity, but that still left his mother and teenage sister in the hands of the Merchants. If Celia had done something stupid like steal from her dealer… well, he needed to find Aisha, and fast.

She'd been grabbed while walking home from school. A van pulled up next to her, and some masked thugs jumped out and pulled her into it. He learnt later that other masked men had shown up at his mother's apartment and just dragged her out.

"Any ideas where they're being held?" Brian asked, making Lisa shake her head.

"Not at the moment; they've been acting weird since Skidmark was captured, and they're hard to predict at the best of times. The drugs make them hard to read because even I can't predict what someone tripping off their ass is going to do," Lisa admitted with a frown. "If you go as Grue, you're gonna blow your own cover."

"What the fuck am I supposed to do? My barely teenage sister is being held by the gang that's almost singlehandedly responsible for the ridiculous rape statistics in Brockton Bay," Brian growled, clenching his fists.

"We could hit their base as the Undersiders, make it out that we're hitting them for their money and accidentally free them, but even that's risky. I can find them, but like I said, Merchants are hard to predict. That's not even mentioning the way Squealer has vanished off the face of the earth. Nobody has seen her in public since Skidmark was taken down, and that's very out of character. She normally rampages when Skidmark gets arrested," Lisa sighed.

"You think she's making a new Killdozer?" Brian asked, making her shake her head.

"No, or if she is, it's not the main thing she's doing. The Merchants have all been acting weird. I've heard rumours of cage fights, kidnappings, and torture," Lisa said. "I think she's trying to make people trigger, but where the hell would someone like Squealer get that idea?"

It sounded like something the Teeth would do, not the fucking Merchants. They were supposed to be a joke, not a serious threat.

"Then I definitely need to get my family out of there as soon as possible," Brian said, making her nod.

"I'm working on it. The Merchants don't have any permanent hideouts like the Empire or ABB. They could be anywhere on their turf, so it might take me a little while," Lisa warned, watching him pace.

His phone vibrating distracted him, his eyes widening as he saw a text from Aisha.

'didn't find my phone. help!!!'

She'd shared her location, making him clench his phone tightly as he showed it to Lisa, who quickly looked up the location.

"It's an old motel, long abandoned because who the fuck would stay in Boat Graveyard? Looks like the Merchants are using it as a distribution centre," Lisa explained. 

"I'm going; I don't care if it risks my identity," Brian said immediately, making her nod.

"I'll get the others, if they're using it as a staging point for their dealers, there should be a decent amount of hard cash we can grab. If we're lucky, the Merchants won't consider that we came for those two," Lisa agreed, knowing he wouldn't be stopped.

Grabbing his helmet, he glared at the location on the map. They better not have touched a hair on her head.

– Lisa Wilbourne (Tattletale) –

They needed to be fast; she didn't want to give Squealer time to show up with a fucking tank or risk getting bogged down in armed junkies. 

She'd managed to get the layout of the motel, and while Brian hated waiting even a second, she'd managed to convince him to let her watch the place for a while to give them something to work with.

It was definitely a staging point; the drugs would be dropped off here, and the dealers would pick up their supplies and drop off the money. It was oddly well-organised for the Merchants, a worrying sign.

It wasn't a well-oiled machine, but it was certainly being run better than she'd come to expect from them. The entire building was expendable as well, and they could ditch this place and set up somewhere else the next day with little issues. This side of town had far too many run-down buildings for them to use.

Aisha had briefly been typing, given the icon that popped up while Brian was looking at the map, but then suddenly stopped, which didn't bode well for her. They'd almost certainly seen her on the phone.

"I think they'll be in the basement," Tattletale said, making Brian nod. She could have worked out more, given more time, but he wasn't going to wait much longer. "Bitch, you're our getaway. Go to that alleyway, they won't be able to see into it, and we can leave by that fire exit and get to you quickly. Be ready."

"Got it," Bitch agreed, heading off to take the long way to the back of the alleyway so no one would see her going into it. There were some Merchant thugs hanging around, but they weren't exactly attentive.

Something about this entire mess had her worried; it just felt off. When they did a job, it was usually planned out for weeks, with her knowing the exact guard patrols and the path they needed to take. It was why they were so good at escaping, but here, they only had some minor intel. They were basically going in blind.

"We're going in through the back; there's a single guard watching that entrance, but if we act fast, we can take him down without him alerting anyone. Grue, cover him in darkness to prevent him from calling for help; Regent, taze him," Lisa said, shaking off her concerns. This was just the Merchants; even under better leadership, they were still the least threatening of the gangs.

– Rachel Lindt (Bitch) –

Standing in the alleyway with her dogs, she made sure to keep them quiet. Although she was out of sight, they could still be heard. They all seemed on edge, but then everyone was at the moment.

A thought struck her, making her open her mouth and tell her dogs to stay as she went back the way she came. The alleyway had a turn, going around the corner out of sight from her pack.

As she did this, she froze. Why had she come back this way? She was supposed to be waiting for the others-

Before she could try and work out what was going wrong, something struck her with incredible force, sending her flying into the wall. Her mouth opened to shout for her dogs, but the feeling of a pair of sharp fangs sinking into her neck made her freeze and a sense of calm overcame her.

Sleep? Yeah, she needed to sleep.

– Alexander Shaw (Ebon) –

As Bitch falls into a slumber, I quickly grab her and climb the building with her and place her on the rooftop, safe for now.

Already, my plan has paid off greatly. She was a good find, and even without draining her completely, she was enough to both unlock a new Discipline and immediately reach Apprentice with it.

[Animalism, Discipline of Beasts: Apprentice]

[Feral Whispers]

Speak telepathically into the mind of an animal whose eyes you meet.

[Beckoning]

Call out to the wilds and summon all animals of a particular type to your location (such as canine, avian or insect).

[Song of Serenity]

Calm an animal, soothing its bestial rage and placing it into a trance-like state.

[Sense the Savage Way]

Project your mind to share the senses of any animal within your range.

[Summon the Flock]

Call upon a flock of ravens that will harass and attack your targets.

[Enduring Beasts]

Requires [Fortitude/Animalism - Novice]

You can extend your Fortitude powers to any animal under the effect of an Animalism power.

A hybrid power? How intriguing, but first… Hopping back down to where I attacked her, I see the dogs all turn to me. They smelt their master's blood, and I can feel their rage.

But unfortunately for them, their master just gave me the power to deal with them.

'Submit, and your master will live.'

Using Feral Whispers, Compel and Song of Serenity all at once, I enforce my will upon the three dogs who come to a stop. They see my fangs, the predatory gleam in my eyes, and know I'm not something they can beat. 

'Remain here. Leave, and I will hunt you.'

They don't audibly respond, I can speak to them, but they can't speak to me. They don't need to; I can see that they understand the situation all too well.

One down, three to go.

– Brian Laborn (Grue) –

Something was off; he didn't need to be Tattletale to realise that.

This was an important hub for the Merchants, but they'd found it basically abandoned. Aside from the outside guards, the entire place was a ghost motel, and it had them all on edge.

But Tattletale noticed something: someone had dragged two people through the hallway fairly recently. Both were alive and the smaller one was putting up a fight.

Nothing could stop him from following the direction Tattletale claimed they'd been dragged, not that he could see anything unusual himself. He trusted her powers, and before long, they were in the basement of the empty building.

"They cleared out very recently. The vans we saw leaving were taking the money and product away," Tattletale said, frowning deeply. 

"Ah shit, we aren't getting paid?" Regent whined, making them both give him a dirty look.

"They knew we were coming; the Merchants don't have a Thinker, right?" Grue asked, making Tattletale shake her head. 

"I don't know; if they do, it would explain some things, but it'd have to be very recent. Maybe a trigger from their pit fights, I don't know," Tattletale admitted, frustration clear in her tone. "They were taken into that room. Footsteps go away from it, but if they were taken, they walked. None of the footprints are small enough to be Aisha's.

Not waiting, he charged forward and kicked the door open, looking around quickly before he stopped. Aisha was there, only dressed in her underwear, seemingly unconscious on the floor.

Rushing to her side, he examined her for any serious injuries (or signs of abuse), finding nothing notable as she lay there. 

"She's been drugged, not sure what they used, but it has her out cold. She was fighting and punched one of the Merchants," Tattletale explained, making him let out a sigh of relief. The drugs were worrying, but they'd just drugged her unconscious because she wouldn't stop fighting. Sounded like her. "It's wearing off, whatever it was."

"I don't see any hot single milfs in the area," Regent said with a shrug, having checked the other rooms. His mother wasn't here; they'd taken her? But why leave Aisha? Something wasn't adding up. "Nice tits for a brat."

God, he could be an asshole sometimes.

"...Regent, why don't you keep watch outside," Tattletale sighed, making Regent shrug again as he walked out of the room and closed the door with a loud bang.

Aisha started to stir, drawing his attention even as he heard another bang from Regent. 

"Wha-" Aisha groaned, her eyes widening as she pushed him away. He quickly pulled off his helmet; he'd deal with the mess of Aisha finding out about him being a Cape later. "Brian? How-"

"It's okay, you're okay. I got your message; you did good," Brian said soothingly, making her blink and rub her eyes. She was clearly disorientated, but as she replied, he froze. 

"What message? They took my phone," Aisha replied, making his blood run cold as he shared a look with Tattletale. 

"We're leaving now," Grue said, putting his helmet back on as she nodded. "Stay behind us. We need to get to Bitch, now."

Opening the door, he froze as he spotted Regent lying face down on the ground, realising now that he should have paid more attention to the sounds coming from outside.

"He's been bit," Tattletale said, making them both share a look. Ebon.

Why was the resident vampire hunting them?

"Ebon, we know it's you. I don't know why you've decided that this is a good idea, but you don't understand who you're-" Tattletale started before she cut off, gasping before she started laughing.

Gripping her hair, she started to laugh hysterically, falling to the floor as she visibly struggled to stop herself. He went to help her before a second sound distracted him. 

Sobbing. Turning, he spotted Aisha cowering in the fetal position as she just sobbed and wailed, making him call on his shadows. He didn't know what Ebon was doing to them, but blocking his vision should at least help.

The feeling of something strong striking him in the chest made him groan in pain, flung back through the door into the room he'd found Aisha in. He was sure that he had broken some of his ribs, gasping in pain as he struggled to stand. 

Ebon stalked towards him, now revealed as a fanged smile looked down at him.

"Why-" Grue started, wincing in pain as Ebon ripped his helmet off. The only answer he got was those fangs biting into his neck.

– Alexander Shaw –

The Renaissance fair escapee already helped me prove a hypothesis.

[Dominate, Discipline of Control: Adept]

[Possession]

Project your mind into the body of a mortal, allowing you total control of them if you can overpower their will.

[Autonomic Mastery]

Take control of a target's bodily functions, such as their breathing, senses or even specific organs, starting or stopping them.

I was at a roadblock for Dominate, unable to reach the Adept level. He is a Master, by drinking his blood, I believe that roadblock has simply become higher. I suspect that I need to feed on unique capes to continue pushing that limit, and simply keeping him around as a blood bag won't help.

But I intend to find out. If I can use him as my Dominate farm, I'll keep him alive. If not, we shall see.

As for dear Grue? He let me skip the Apprentice phase entirely, much like Bitch helped me avoid Novice for Animalism.

[Obtenebration, Discipline of Shadows: Adept]

[Arms of the Abyss]

Summon inky-black tentacles from nearby shadows to assist you in combat.

[Shroud of Night]

Call forth the darkness and blanket an area in a cloud of unnatural shadow that obscures light, sound, and heat.

[Eyes of the Night]

Allows you to see without light, even through supernatural darkness.

[Nightshades]

Allows you to create temporary objects made of pure shadow as long as you understand how they work.

What a feast I have been granted, worth any amount of risk in my eyes.

Grue fights, but to no avail, as his own blood provides me the answer to counter him. Before long, he joins his ally in the realm of Morpheus.

Tattletale glares at me angrily as I approach her, still cackling with hysterical laughter thanks to [Veil of Madness], but I simply smile at her. I don't bite down, not yet. 

Knocking her out, I cancel the Veil on Aisha as well, who tries to run. She doesn't get far before she joins the others, and I start to move them into the van Sherrel has waiting for us. They're coming home with me because, of course, my gothic mansion has a dungeon.

I have experiments to do to work out what cape blood can truly do for me. These four have simply volunteered to be my obedient lab rats. 

— Bonus Scene — Emily Piggot

Just what she needed: another cape with delusions of grandeur and problems with authority. She already didn't like Ebon, seeing him as an older, more powerful Shadow Stalker… but for all his arrogance, he knew that they were outnumbered and that they wanted him more than he wanted them.

Ebon setting up the meeting for almost a week later was mildly annoying, but at least Starlight had managed to get him to come in for power testing and to 'hear their sales pitch'. 

She wanted to be dealing from a position of power, but Ebon's every move just screamed that he saw letting them have a chance to recruit him as some great favour he was granting them.

But Ebon himself claimed he was growing stronger, and self-Trump capes were rare and valuable. They had clear proof he was becoming stronger and stronger, and she didn't like the idea of an independent, bloodsucking Trump growing increasingly powerful even if he was nominally a hero. 

She had doubts about how heroic he truly was, given that he'd ripped off Skidmark's arm. While he'd claimed it was an accident, he certainly didn't seem to regret it.

Of course, that led her to her other problem. What the hell was going on with the Merchants? They'd started to hear rumours of Squealer holding pit fights to decide who got their fix, making homeless junkies fight until one of them was unconscious or dead for their drugs. That wasn't even touching the darker rumours floating around over the kidnappings. It was something she'd expect from the Teeth, not the fucking Merchants.

Not to mention the fact that they were letting Skidmark rot; where was the invisible Killdozer rampaging through the city? Not that she was complaining about that, but Squealer not trying to save him was a complete change of routine for her.

Somehow, she was willing to blame Ebon for this as well. She wasn't looking forward to meeting him; a narcissistic pseudo-vampire with issues with authority sounded like something custom-designed to piss her off.

But depending on the results of his power testing, she might have to suck it up. When he'd first shown up, he'd been fast, but not enough to outrun Armmaster's bike; he'd been strong, but not enough to tear off a limb by accident. 

That wasn't even getting into the potential of him also being a Stranger, along with whatever else he may be hiding. He was a high-value cape, and he knew it.