Enemies Gather

Mr Badger

The Vampire crouched motionless in the long grass. Just behind her was a well lit series of buildings fenced off with razor wire. To the naked eye the area was well secured against intruders but to other senses it was apparent the area was also off limits to more than physical intrusion. Blazing wards covered the central building with an unpenetratable haze to the mystic eye. The fence line glowed with the semi sentient pulse of electronic defenses while the bright glow of roving guards, both animal and mortal, completed the list. More defences were on line for sure but many of them would only be found the easy way, by stumbling upon them. All of this was unimportant however to this Vampire, rather than breaking in she was tasked with preventing just that from others of her kind. All the guards and animals were Ghouled to her group and instead of attacking in force they had been asked into the complex by their Masters. Some great discovery had been made and it seemed the group of Elders responsible were not about to share it with their respective Clans or Sponsors.

Nomadic by choice her Pack was a prime choice for rapid response operations. Some nights they were the attacker others like this one they were the defenders. Her orders had been simple, hold the area till the discovery had been explored. Hold then destroy all the evidence. All problems were to be destroyed with what ever force was required. Half her Pack surrounded the complex to interdict any infiltrators while the other half were inside protecting their mission's goal.

The Vampire flicked her eyes to the side as she caught a flicker of movement once more. Without moving she searched the tree line for any sign of an enemy she was certain was there. A form was hidden in the shadows and she smiled as her claws extended slowly. Silently she reached into her Blood for greater perception. Her eyes glowed slightly red with the side effects of the procedure. Night became day and her target stood out even further from the undergrowth. Before she launched herself off to attack she considered briefly why her opponent hadn't maintained its camouflage, why be so obvious this close to the complex? She never saw her target smile as her use of Protean pinpointed its position exactly. As she slowly stood the first sign she was under attack was when her own shadow reached up with the speed of a striking cobra and the black shaft pierced her heart. She collapsed in silent agony, motionless as the ebony shaft tied her to the ground. She stared with betrayal at that which no longer belonged to her and never saw the person who severed her neck, all fell into blackness.

Mr Badger wiped his claws on the corpses jacket as it slowly melted back into the earth. While the body decomposed with such haste it seemed all the Time denied the person had been applied in one dose Mr Badger searched her clothing for anything revealing of what was ahead. As other members of his team gathered nearby he quickly found an electronic device. Passing this to the Pack Sparky Mr Badger discarded the rest of her equipment as trivial.

"It's a transponder," mentally whispered the Electrical expert. "The inner defences recognise the bearer of this device as friendly. A bonus for us, unfortunate for the designers. I wouldn't rely on it too much, who knows what else it'll look for other then this."

To the other side of Mr Badger the Pack's Tremere consultant nodded her agreement. "It is tied into her aura as well. Only this person can carry it with safety, to those the device hasn't been attuned too it's worthless."

Mr Badger frowned then waved forward a nearby shadow. Drawing nearer the shadow evaporated until the slightly Arabic features of a small man were visible. The Assamite was well aware what was required of him and in seconds his form wavered until it matched Mr Badger's dispatched opponent. Keying in his Inner Sight Mr Badger nodded as the Assamite drew forth the shadows of his inner being in combination with the powers inherent in his powerful Obfuscate. The Assamite's aura warped till it was a near replica of the woman's whose face he bore. In his hand the tiny security device beeped softly and warmed once more. Mr Badger smiled and waved the Pack further inward.

An owl swooped down toward a scuttling mouse on the opposite side of the facility. The Vampire guard covering that segment of the perimeter relaxed as he identified the movement. He resisted the urge to duck or otherwise reveal his position as the owl swooped towards him, to fly over his head. Unfortunately the eye's senses were far more acute then its targets. Especially when combined with the mind of a Nosferatu.

The owl tucked done wing to its body and collided with a sickening shriek with the Vampire's unprotected neck. Throat crushed the Vampire reached for his radio but the movement was never completed as a wild cat efficiently severed his spinal cord. The Nosferatu released control of the animals and shuffled his way further around the circle to engage another waiting guard. So far surprise was on their side but once the inner security realised the area was violated their would be no further easy kills. That was not his problem however, that task was left to the team penetrating the area already.

The fence glowed to both normal and aura referenced sight. The wires were certainly electrified but to the more sensitive they also seemed to be alive in some twisted fashion. The Tremere member shook her head as she joined minds with all those concerned. "The Fiends have been busy. Not only is it live in the electric sense but also in the mortal. The third wire is descended from mortal flesh. It is a single piece I believe stretches the entire length of the fence. Severing it or indeed coming into contact with it harbouring hostile intent would raise the alarm inside. Surely it is connected to some controlling organism inside the laboratory. Also the fence itself seems to have a number of spirits bonded within. If we damaged it in anyway they will escape and report our presence. I can feel them watching us already. I will have to disable them before we progress."

Mr Badger nodded to the report and waved off questions while he considered the situation. The Pack's Assassin could not maintain the illusion for much longer so they would've to progress swiftly if the mission was to succeed. A heavy set Vampire was bought to the command team and to her was explained the plan. Mr Badger had prepared for such an event and had in his possession a number of tools to make their task easier.

The Gangrel nodded her consent and accepted the flask Mr Badger held out to her. Inside the crystal container a dull reddish liquid resided. With the breaking of the seal the warm scent of fresh blood filled the air. The scent was potent as the blood itself was from a most Elder member of their Breed. The Gangrel swallowed half the contents of the flask and handed the remains to Mr Badger. Replacing the seal Mr Badger watched to see if the Pack member would react as he suspected and how the plan relied upon.

The Gangrel felt the blood moving down her throat like a whispered moan. It seemed to disappeared inside her without the need to swallow. She felt it burning it's way down her body till all of her was inflamed like the days of her mortal life long gone. Her eyes blazed with uncontrolled fire as the furnace of another's being attempted to consume her soul. A strangled moan escaped her lips as the Elder's essence attacked her very being for control. She struggled to maintain a semblance of control but all too soon she could scarcely remember what her purpose was, all consuming was the struggle for identity. As she was prepared to withdrawal back to the inner reaches of her being she felt another presence in her mind, this time was she was prepared for. A stabbing lance of focused Dementation harpooned its way into the strengthening matrix of the Elder. Confused by the separation from its own True Self, attacked from two fronts, the fragile construct of the Elder, held within its borrowed Vitae, faded into nothing. The Gangrel sighed through bloodied lips as the struggle within her mind ended.

Elder Blood was foretold to be potent and those who were weak of will could easily be Subsumed by the Soul remains within. Such was the dangers of Diablerie and the risk faced for the rewards. While not fully Diablerie as the donor of the Blood still lived and had given willingly there still remained a certain 'presence' within the Blood. Now that it had been defeated the Blood still left temporary increases to the drinker's power.

Reaching into the power of her own Blood the Gangrel found new depths she'd only bathed in during training. Focusing her will she took the hands of the waiting Electronics expert and they both melted into the ground without leaving a trace. The abilities of the Blood power known as Protean extend to becoming one with the earth. The more practiced people can not only meld but also navigate in that state. This was what the Elder Blood enhanced Vampire was attempting. Rather than disturbing the defences of the fence the Pack was going to avoid them altogether, without drawing undue attention to itself in the process. Soon all of the Pack tasked with the assault were ferried across to the inner side of the fence and they proceeded closer to the complex.

A tall gentleman with scarred features flicked from one security monitor to another. Reports had just come in from radio gaps in the parameter guards. They were now considered lost and the complex under attack. Help had been summoned but it was hours away. In fact the transports and guards tasked with evacuating the facility were going to arrive first, that is if anything was left for them to evacuate. The Research facility had made a great discovery, one they had gone to all costs to burry from outside interference. Somehow word must have gotten out still as the first raiding team seemed to be nearing his location. Reaching for the automatic defences he activated them all as he reached for a comlink.

"Seal the building, kill everything that enters. We will hold from here, no-one enters or leaves alive."

Outside grass covered hatches explosively swung open. From out of the previously covered depths heavily armed platforms extended from the earth. Inside each of the platforms a non-human presence guided its aim. Being once alive but then summoned back from beyond the Shroud the bonded presences knew the articles of the agreement holding them to another's will. They must defend the area of forever be the slave of another. Looking with senses only the Dead could possess they aimed themselves at the approaching cloaked figures.

Mr Badger dove to one side as the air itself seemed to explode. There were no signs of bright pulses of light nor of scarlet lines of energy tracking their targets as of science fiction fame. All he could see was a haze in the night air that betrayed the beams path and the explosive termination as its target was vaporised. The first scout didn't have time to shout a warning as the first platform's targeting pierced the cloak of Obfuscate and ripped him apart in a shower of heated gore. Return fire lanced out form hastily taken defensive positions.

Mr Badger couldn't let the initiative slide towards the enemies favour. In a coordinated manoeuvre the nearest platforms were decoyed away to fire at other Pack members while both Mr Badger and the Tremere ran headlong toward the defensive line. The platforms couldn't retrack toward the ground assault fast enough to engage. Safe within a minium engagement distance the Tremere focused her Sight on the platforms as Mr Badger wrenched open part of their armour.

"There!" Pointed the Wizard and Mr Badger aimed for the pale glowing sphere representing the Spirit based guidance mechanism. With a sweep of his claws the globe was shattered and a chill blast of air erupted from within. Ears deafened by the shriek on not only this Plane Mr Badger stood up and grasped the motionless but still active platform. Grunting with the effort Mr Badger used his strength to force the platform's aim from toward his own Pack to down the line of platforms.

The Agreement binding the Spirits included that they may not take any 'action' to bring about their own destruction. The Agreement said nothing about 'inaction' on their part. Aware they were under fire they consciously continued to fire futilely toward the opponents safely under cover. One by one they were destroyed by their own energy weapons. With surprise no longer an option the Pack abandoned passive stealth and raced in for the attack.

The Facility Leader was enraged at the fall of his remote defences. The Giovanni rubbed the tip of his beard in silent fury as he cursed the escape of his servants. They were worthless beyond the Facilities grounds but their easy defeat was a slap in the face. Turning away from the defence console he walked to the inner chambers where his discovery still sat. It was a black seething portal. Light fall into its rapidly changing form and seemed to be absorbed without exception. The portal had come about from a bungled attempt at reanimating an experimental construction. Rather then be bound with a serving Soul the humanoid form had exploded in a shower of metal and flesh. The component parts had swirled in the locus of an overwhelming wind trapped within the laboratory. In front of the startled researchers the remains of their subject had reformed into the 2 metre tall arc facing him now. The wind had reversed all direction and plunged away into the newly completed frame. With the disappearance of the wind the moving blackness had snapped into existence and had since then remained. As startling as its formation the side effects of the portal's presence were even more disturbing. Electrical equipment functioned within the room, without concern of them being plugged in or attached to any power source whatsoever. Any equipment passed into then out of the portal returned with the identical ability to function without an obvious power source but were no longer restricted to within the room.

Live experimentation was even more disturbing. A number of research subjects were pushed through the portals boundaries. They returned with the same force as they were entered, lifeless. Their skin was pale as if they had been drained of all blood. While this was not the case their Vitae was unpalatable and repulsive, as if all that was nutritious had been removed. This development had come to light just as the Ghoul members of the staff possessing equipment that had been passed through the portal had complained of feeling listless and exhausted. One member of the team was left in possession of a tainted piece of equipment in the medical centre. He had died a day later, a shrunken husk with an aura nearly imperceptable.

The experiment had formed a portal that acted as a Soul energy sink. It was found the equipment required to be recharged at regular intervals through the portal and that the portal had to be 'fed' subjects to continue functioning. On a negative note with each successive subject the boundaries of the portal started to extend out slightly, it was growing. The Facility leader turned away to the sound of gunfire nearing his position, unaware of the whispering now coming from the portal.

Mr Badger stabbed deep within the body of a guard with an extended sweep of his arm. The guard fell without a sound but misdirected gunfire caused Mr Badger to take cover rather than advance. So far half the reported strength inside the building had been removed from contention but there was no sign of their target. Nearing the centre of the complex the Pack had lost two members to the defences. The Cloaked Assamite had gotten them inside the building without event but had fallen to the accurate heavy fire of a guard. Not equipped for a protracted fire fight the Pack resorted to tooth and claw rather than pick up discarded equipment from their foes. Rather than anything tangible there seemed some wrong attached to some of the equipment. It felt strange and dangerous. It was left where it fell.

The Giovanni Leader examined the body as his feet. The Vampire had burst into the room begging to surrender. The Leader had shot him with a weapon that had been passed through the portal previously. Ordinary bullets are not a serious concern for his Breed but the ones that now issued forth from this weapon tore into the Vampire like an almost palatable intent. The Vampire looked in shock as the wounds refused to heal. The bullets could be seen moving under the vampires skin like insects feeding with a frenzied appetite. Checking the magazine the Giovanni found the weapon to be seamless and still armed. Like electronics the weapon didn't need to be recharged, just fed on occasion. The Facility Leader stared at the portal and listened to the absence of gunfire. It was over, the attackers had defeated his security forces as he'd feared. Rather than face his Clan and Family with the knowledge he had failed to protect their investment, rather than watch someone else make use of his research, rather than taste defeat the Vampire took a steady path toward the face of the portal. Hesitating on the lip, he looked toward the door of the laboratory with a pained smile then walked through. He disappeared without a ripple. He wondered how the portal would react to someone without a Soul, he wondered what would lie on the other side, he wondered no more.

Mr Badger and Pack broke into the now empty laboratory. Nowhere to be seen was the researcher responsible for the thing in front of him. Setting up the teams electronic equipment seemed easier and less troublesome then usual this time. As if they were being given a helping hand along the way. Mr Badger radioed his Sire with the news of the Complex's capture and the prize awaiting to be claimed.

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Enemies, part 2