Enemies Return

Mr Badger

The room was dark and deserted. The air was still as benefiting the sterile conditions but instead of the clean white of a laboratory the walls were spotted with soot and the brown of dried blood lay upon the floor. There had been battle and death in this room, now it was silent like the grave itself. Months ago it had been the Laboratory of a Camarilla research institute, now it was mostly abandoned. Equipment had been removed by both the attackers and the original occupants of the institute. The raiders had taken what they wanted and destroyed most of the rest.
Without the notes or the researchers themselves the owners of the institute were at a loss to duplicate the research. That is, if they actually wanted to. The first members of the rescue team were struck by the feeling of dread throughout the complex. Something best left untouched had been found by the researchers. Something that wasn't entirely gone. As the institute had been constructed by a Giovanni subsidiary what ever they had discovered was sure to be incomprehensible to all but themselves. The rescue team had arrived but hours after the alarms had gone off, still too late to catch anything but a glimpse of the raiders. The institute had been torn apart after that for some sign of what had happened.
Elders of different Clans were called to pry into the secrets of the Inner Chambers. The slightest hint of the Spirits Touch sent the first Elder into Torpor and bought a moan of terror from the others who tried. The entire area screamed as if the Spirit's domain had been violated, all else was overwhelmed with the influx of raw energy on the Spirit Plane. The electronic records were either destroyed or removed. No link to the outside Net had been permitted and now that restriction meant reconstruction of the records was near impossible. Something terrible had happened, something unknown. A number of strange artefacts had been recovered from the site. These had been removed for investigation. For some reason they had been left behind by the raiders. Untouched from where they lay. This concerned the investigators more than the raid itself. What was so terrible that even the Sabbat, as it had to be them responsible, would forgo the opportunity to take it for themselves? Some hoped the investigation would make this clear, others hoped it never would be solved.

From the darkness came a burst of light. Power returned to the remaining equipment, even though all lines had been cut. Self checks were completed with diligence by the simple electronic minds and the raw stench of focused energy again filled the room. The bio-metallic portal still sat in the centre of the room. It had been ignored by the Sabbat raiders and feared by the Camarilla rescue team. The former steered clear from previous experience, the latter from ignorance. Now the portal burst into terrible life once more, stolen life from the researchers themselves. The portal had fed on the mortal servants of the institute and even upon those considered beyond mortal. Now the energy was being returned in one massive pulse.
The portal opened and if any one had been there to witness it they would have seen the silhouette of standing figures on the other side. The portal stabilised at its previous full size and the first figure walked down the damaged ramp. He stopped near the blasted doors and looked around the room as if seeing it for the first time. Behind him more and more figures walked out of the portal, new to this world they tread upon its surface like a new born child, expectantly and fearing failure. Once the last had entered the lights dimmed and equipment returned to its electronic sleep. Starved of it's stolen energy the portal collapsed once more. Having been drained utterly the portal's structure crumbled then collapsed into duct. What was once metal and flesh then some combination of the two was consumed by its own hunger and was no more. With no retreat the leading figure chuckled quietly and led his followers out of the laboratory. They hungered after their journey and must be fed before the plan could continue. Marcus Giovanni had returned and he was not alone.

Marcus considered his new hunger an advanced form of the old. Instead of the Blood of Kine he now needed to feed upon their life essence itself. Feeding was always fatal now where before it could be moderated. This was how he had heard the most Elder of the Kindred sustained themselves. The Blood was too weak for such beings and now was too weak for him also. Where they fed upon the Vitae of other Kindred he used the option of feeding on the more abundant mortals. Still deep in his mind he wondered of the taste the life of another Kindred must taste as their light was extinguished. His new servants were even more stricken by the hunger. Like the Beast personified they fed as much on their prey's terror as on the stolen life.
Marcus had made may promises and many pacts with those he met on the other side of the portal. His talent for the Dead had increased magnitudes ahead of the hunger it bought. Before he could summon and speak with ease. Now the Dead obeyed without question, without need for bargain without betrayal moments away. He had been weak before, weaker then he cared to admit. Now he was strong, strong in ways he was eager to show. The cost had been pitiful to provide, he was still master of his own will. All he had to do was provide a willing Avatar for the being he found behind the Portal. It seemed it could not walk the Earth itself and needed a vessel. If Marcus provided the vessel he would not only gain the wisdom and knowledge of the creature but a measure of its power as well. Marcus had leapt at the chance to return for his revenge, revenge upon the ones who had bought his plans to ruin as well as revenge upon those who before considered him nothing but a tool to be used then discarded on a whim.
As Marcus left the institute for the last time the Bane dwelling in his inner Soul laughed at its servant. It's thoughts were it's own, all the Bane had to do was introduce direction to this vessel, direction it was more than eager to accept and grasp like it thought of it itself. Foolish creature, thought the Bane, as if anything was ever that simple.

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Marcus knew he needed information before he could strike back. The faces of the raiders was imprinted upon his memory like acid scarred blisters. He would never forget the ones who dashed his research before it could be mastered. He had journeyed through the portal before they had seen him but from the other side he had looked on their faces with hatred.
The portal's inner boundary was more flesh then solid. It warped back and forth like blind mindless tentacles. His mind recoiled at the landscape revealed, the area was brighter then the sun he remembered from youth. What he could see was without form or design. What was at first trees warped till it appeared like a building then it returned to nothing. Marcus had stared in wonder what he beheld. Then the portal closed, the light vanished in an instant to a dull glow prevalent across the land. What was formless before now settled in dark reality.
Looking around Marcus was disgusted to see nothing but the decay of civilisation. The landscape before him was like the darkest rendition of the end of the world. A single blood red sun sent it's congealed light downward through the heavy clouds. The air smelled of things long dead but not gone into the thankful oblivion of rot. The stone work he examined was pitted with age and feel to the dust at his feet with the simplest touch. Scattered about his feet were a number of items he remembered having sent through the portal during the previous experiments.
But the most disturbing was this realities occupants. They were hooded in dark robes and moved with a lethargic shuffle. As Marcus watched one of the figures picked up a inactive Note Pad in its concealed hands. Marcus narrowed his eyes as the figure appeared to be shrinking in front of his eyes. In instants it was absorbed into the Note Pad till it was no more. As it clattered to the ground the personal computer lit up with new energy and started it's usual boot up sequence. Marcus was astonished at the discovery behind the portal's exhibited powers. The energy source was from the people themselves! This explained why the articles fed on people from his own world. Cut off from their own plane they cannibalised others to exist on the adopted realm. As Marcus examined the now functional computer he extended his senses to observe the possessing creature. Marcus staggered back at the influx of emotion his Auspex delivered. Rather then enhance his sight the Discipline opened his mind to the Realm itself. The pain of separation with the agony of loss tore at his heart. Marcus screamed as he tried to close himself from the torrent of emotion. His struggles did not go unnoticed. A dark cloud of focused energy appeared from behind a building. Eyes and mouths appeared within the cloud at random intervals and random places. Each of the mouths spoke in the same voice and all the eyes were riveted on this intruder.

"Who are you?" Hissed the cloud with many mouths in unison. With no reply evident the cloud swelled to three times its original size and consumed Marcus within its grasp.
Marcus shuddered in fear as raw terror infused his body. Cloaked in blackness with teeth tearing his flesh from all directions he was powerless to resist. His mind was ripped open by the cloud and it feasted on his memories of Earth. Marcus could feel an ancient hunger inside this Spirit. A hunger for what it had experienced from others but never seen first hand. With Marcus' knowledge came a response from the Spirit. A bargain was discussed and accepted by both parties.
Marcus opened his mouth and the Spirit was taken into his body. New found energy quaked his limbs and his eyes blazed with the content of the Spirit. The land was seen through new eyes as the Spirit settled into it's new home. Marcus observed the land through the Spirit's senses and he laughed as the robed figures stopped their motions and turned to obey his unspoken will. The Spirit was Lord over this Realm and through it now was he. Marcus was in no hurry to begin his revenge till he new powers and abilities stabilised. He trained for an age under the silent tutorage of the Spirit.
"Time passes more slowly in the Skinlands than here, our return will not be delayed," whispered the Spirit. Marcus nodded and committed all towards greater strength.

The hunger of his being was not satisfied with being free of the Earth. Marcus still hungered for the Blood of others as was his Breed's curse and source of their power. Instead of feeding upon mortals Marcus accepted his host's instruction and fed upon this Realms occupants in entirety. More than just life energy was consumed, the creature being fed upon was destroyed utterly. Like the original consumption into its new Host the Spirit taught Marcus how to feed upon the life energy behind the creatures themselves. With the life force came knowledge and with knowledge came memories. Marcus not only was strengthened with the person's energy but gained their minds as well. The final scream of acceptance, acceptance of subsumption then oblivion rang in his ears. At first Marcus was repulsed by the act, now he hungered more and more for the sensation. This Spirit mentor promised the act could be repeated back in Marcus' own Realm and would be all the sweeter for the location.

Soon it came time for the practice to become action. Marcus desired revenge above all else and the Spirit guided Marcus towards this end. The individuals not yet destroyed through hunger were gathered before the dark exterior of the portal and committed to its new life. They were thrown into its depths and their death screams bought a smile to Marcus' face as they were absorbed into the dark exterior. With each sacrifice came a dull light from the portal. As more and more died for it's existence the portal eventually brightened to the magnitude Marcus remembered from his arrival.
As the pathway opened once more Marcus turned at his Mentor's instruction and observed the Realm behind his dissolve into the blackness of the void. Soon all that remained was himself, the opening portal and a number of tall black figures. In place of hands sat claws, others possessed razors and still others carried weapons designed with the sole purpose of rending flesh. Inside his being Marcus could hear the Spirit screaming in joy and sense of completion. Its thoughts were guarded as always but there was a deep satisfaction emanating from the Spirit and a sense of escape. As Marcus stepped through the portal, dark servants behind him, he wondered what creature would be trapped in such a way and why?

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Marcus looked at the still body of his informant. Wiping his hands he removed any lasting traces of the Nosferatu's blood. This Kindred had been of use to him before and was knowledgeable of the workings of the Sabbat as well as the Camarilla. It was a simple task for it to find out who had been responsible for the institute's attack and who had profited from its rape. His research had been stolen and now it was time to collect. It had been a trivial matter to fake a message to the Vampire seeking this knowledge. The dungeon dweller had thought the request coming from another of its kind. Little did he know but the individual in question had only sent the request moments before being consumed by Marcus' own hunger. A fitting reward for a creature who fed off the knowledge of others.
The information trail had led to the corpse at his feet. Now the knowledge was his, he now knew who to hunt and destroy. His servants gathered equipment from the Nosferatu's lair. Some would be useful later on and anyone investigating this death would be suspicious if theft hadn't occurred. As Marcus left to escape the coming dawn the Bane he carried felt its own revenge gathering momentum. 

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Enemies, part 3

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