#Nikki's bloodlust takes over

[ladyshandioftheendless]

~Crüe AU writings 7~

Reblogging those hawt pics inspired me so hard~ Too Fast for Love era Crüe is officially the canon Vampverse~

~Shandi

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~VAMPIRE AU Part 7~

Summary: Nikki loses control. (told from Mick’s POV)

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I decide to take the kid to a more lively part of the city for blood. West Hollywood is not our usual territory but as long as we don’t call too much attention to ourselves we should stay out of trouble. His eyes are wide with wonder and excitement. “Have you never been here before, kid?” 

“Wanted to..but my ‘family’ would never let me go anywhere fun like this.”

“Then lucky for you they’re rotting corpses now huh?” 

“Couldn’t possibly feel any luckier~” 

As we pass an alleyway the strong scent of blood hits us both. The kid’s eyes turn red and his fangs are out. “It’s so close..” His voice is a deep rumble, laden with hunger. “..I want it~” He disappears into the darkness and I hear the guys’ screams as he feeds on them. Nobody else does. The Humans are all too busy in their own selfish little fantasy worlds to care about bums in an alley. He comes out, face stained with blood, eyes burning red and a sadistic smile. “Kid? You okay?” Stupid question. I know he’s far from okay. He looks at me, licking the blood from his fangs. 

“Blooooood...I want moooore~” 

I was afraid this would fuckin’ happen. A lot of fledglings fall victim to Bloodlust if they’re not taught how to feed properly. It’s my fault. I let him just do what he wanted cause I didn’t wanna be like his shitty ass ‘family’. I have to try to calm him. I place a hand on his shoulder. “We’ll find more, kid. Just come with me okay?” But his nose is already in the air scenting for fresher blood. He growls and runs off. He’s fuckin’ fast! I try to keep up but I lose track of him in the crowd. 

FUCK!

I manage to swipe a car to search for him. Goddammit..where the hell could he have gone?! This is bad. If he’s caught.. I finally catch his scent over by one of the nightclubs on Sunset and I track it to a nearby hotel. I swear I can hear him call to me. Once I find the right room I kick the door open. There he is lying on the bed naked with three dead chicks. He’s fuckin’ gorged himself. I push the bodies aside and climb on the bed next to him. “Kid...! Kid! Nikki! C’mon Nikki wake up! We gotta get you outta this fuckin’ room!” He groans and opens his eyes. “Nikki, c’mon... C’mon..” I grab his chin and turn his head. The Bloodlust has made him delirious. Incoherent. “Fuck, you gluttonous bastard, you just had to drain these bitches in Vince’s territory, didn’t you? Fuck.. Fuck, am I not feeding you enough? Jeez..” I help him put on his clothes. It’s a race against time now. “Wake up, Nikki. We’re gonna get out of here, then you’ll be right as rain, ya hear me?” He presses his cheek against my shoulder and groans again.

“Mick....hun....hungry...” 

“No. Not now! Jeez kid, you just drained three girls! You are not hungry--ahh!!” I hiss when the kid bites into my shoulder. Fuck he’s got it really bad. “Nikki! This is not the time!” He looks at me..and I just lose my damn nerve. He’s desperate for my help. He needs me. And he needs to satiate his hunger. So I stay there and let him drink from me. This’ll be the only damn time. Maybe my blood will calm him the fuck down. I see movements in the shadows out of the corner of my eye. Shit they’ve caught up. “Nikki. Stop.” 

“...but..Mick..”

One look from me shuts him up. He nods and gets up from the bed. Leaning against me, I take him out a window and down the fire escape. “Get in the car, kid.” 

“Why..do you have a car? Aren’t we gonna fly?” 

“Can’t fly in this territory. Those fuckers are faster than me..we’d be dead before you know it.” I pick the kid up, put him in his seat and close the door. I’m fuckin’ glad I left the car running now. I close the driver’s side door and stomp the pedal to the floor. “Nikki..listen. When we get home I gotta explain the rules about territories to you.” I turn to him and realize that I’m wasting my breath. He’s already passed out. And snoring. Damn cute ass brat~” 

Unfortunately we’re not safe. Not by a fuckin’ long shot. 

A group of blonde chicks dressed in red leather stand in the road, forcing me to slam on the brakes. The kid is jolted awake. “W-what the fuck, Mick?!” One of them comes up to my door and rips it off its hinges, tossing it into the woods. “Get out of the car.” I hold up my hands. “We didn’t do anything. I’m just tryin’ to take the kid home.” I hear the other door get ripped off, and another chick grabs the kid by his neck and pulls him out. “Come with us now, or we’ll be playin’ soccer with his head.” Fuckin’ hell. I’ve got no choice. “Fine fine! Just let him go!” The kid runs to me and grabs onto my arm. “Mick what’s goin’ on? Who are they?” 

“I’m sorry, kid. I shoulda warned you about territories before we left. These chicks are Vince Neil’s entourage. West Hollywood is his playground and we intruded.”

“What now?” 

“We meet the man himself..and hope we can convince him not to kill us.” 

To be Continued!! 

#Shandi's drabbles #Crüe AU writings #Vampy Sixx~ #Nikki's bloodlust takes over #unfortunately it's in the wrong territory

[piratewithvigor]

A Review Of Classic Rock Fanfics I Wrote When I Was 12 That I Cringed Over For Years And Now Find Oddly Hilarious Now

GNR

Back In The Shadows: My necessary vampire AU where 3/5 of the original members are vampires and there’s a lot of angst. May rewrite someday with less cringey dialogue and more smut. 7/10

Crashing And Burning: A world where music is illegal and Axl has voices in his head that are the souls of dead musicians. Pretty much everyone makes an appearance. Steven has a stuffed elephant named Stacy. Would have been great if I ever finished it. 9/10

Junk: Written as a gift. Izzy and Steven create their own Christmas ornaments after realising how expensive they are. Little bit of shipping, but not enough. Feels rushed. 4/10

Meltdown: Axl throws a tantrum. I wrote one scene when I was angsty at my parents and then added a shoddy beginning and end. 3/10

Sleepless On D Block: Proud as hell of this one. The only one I was brave enough to post on AO3. Izzy is a death row guard who falls in love with his inmate- Axl. Like The Green Mile, but more gay. 10/10

Motley Crue

Ink: A badly-written poem about Nikki’s tattoos from his POV. For only 4 verses, it packs a punch. 6/10

Love, Nikki: It should have stayed as one chapter. Was going to be an imagining of Nikki’s suicide note to his bandmates. Progressed into the aftermath of the suicide where he’s forced to watch the world slowly forget about him. Why did young me romanticise this so much? 2/10

The Outlaw And His Whore: A wild-west AU with a Twincest ship (is that the ship name for them?) that I wimped out of writing an actual sex scene for, so I decided that Vince was narrating a sexual fantasy out for them in present day instead. Pretty much unreadable. 0/10

Rush

A Love Poem: Another angst poem. In this one, Alex is writing it for his husband, Geddy, who died of cancer. Made everyone who read it cry, which was exactly my intention. 7/10

By-Tor And The Snow Dog: A cross between Lion King 2 and Lord Of The Rings, but with Rush. I hadn’t planned it out enough, so it died after 2 chapters. Could have been epic. 4/10

I Do The Best I Can: Written for a prompt about how John would feel after having been replaced and how it impacts his relationship with Alex. Actually fairly proud of this one. 8/10

July 21, 2005: The date of gay marriage being legalised in Canada. Complete with a Dirxst ship and only 100 words long. 4/10

Just One More Story?: ‘What if these rockers read their own fanfics?’ was the question this resolves, complete with excerpts from Dirxst fanfics written by writers I admired (only one acknowledged their inclusion and loved it). Would have preferred to use my own writing. 6/10

Sleep With Me?: Geddy and Alex finds Neil’s attempt at erotic writing. 3/10

The Trees: Basically a fanfic written for kids based on The Trees. 2/10

Workin Them Angels: Another gift. Another unplanned story that went sour. After a near-death experience, Geddy meets Alex, his guardian angel. 1/10 and I’m sorry to the gal I tried to write it for.

Led Zeppelin

Dyfi Valley: Robert and Jimmy write Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp while in seclusion in a cabin together. Casual homoerotic undertones, but there doesn’t have to be if it isn’t your thing. Mostly just two guys being dudes and appreciating each other’s beauty. 9/10

Miracle Worker: AU where Jonesy is a roadie and bass tech who Robert recruits to take over his own bass duties while on the road to reduce strain on himself. Not bad for 3 hours’ work. 7/10

Quick Lovin: A 100-word drabble about Robert subtly domming Jimmy during Moby Dick. Good for brief smut. 5/10

The Traveling Wilburys

And They Never Forgot: A few words in honour of Tom Petty’s death. Published the day of. 6/10

Van Halen

Another Blonde: Dave being salty about being replaced. 8/10

I Charge By The Hour: Eddie and Dave get together after being perfectly uncomfortable with each other in the name of lending one another PA equipment. Not as awkward as it feels. 7/10

Queen

Who Wants To Live Forever?: Freddie comforts his band in his final hours. Sad as hell and I did not know a single thing about Queen when I wrote it. 4/10

Alice Cooper

The Strange Case Of Mr Vincent And Alice Cooper: Vincent Furnier is slowly possessed by the spirit of a girl named Alice Cooper, slowly corrupting his mind and driving him away from his bandmates until she can achieve world domination through him. Great beginning, lousy end. Had to watch the 1969 Rock Festival Performance too many times to write it. 6/10

Kiss

Beyond The Makeup: Paul contemplates his identity as he suits up for a show. Totally a ripoff of the opening of his book, Face The Music. 2/10

Hooligan: Ace and Paul put on each other’s makeup. 1/10

David Bowie (And Rolling Stones)

Lazarus: Written with lines from the song, this was written for the first anniversary of Bowie’s death, cause I was feeling emotions. 4/10

Miss You: David and Mick’s reunion after spending months apart. Then they realise that Charlie is in the bathroom with them. A great amount of awkward, but I still kind of like the ship. 6/10

Sweethearts: A collection of bad one-shots with David and Mick just being a couple in love. Features Saturday morning cartoons, baking cookies and a bachelor auction. 5/10

The Doors

The Neighbor Upstairs: My first and only attempt at an OC within fanfics. No one hated it, but no one really loved it. Also my first story. My first review was a notice that it had been improperly formatted. 1/10

Crossovers

The L.A. Vampires: Alice Cooper, Jimmy Page and Ozzy Osbourne gather for their yearly feasting ritual and to induct their newest member of their group, Nikki Sixx, but Nikki is missing and about to face his first bloodlust. A slightly better vampire AU, but not as well-crafted as my first. Best part is the title’s word play. 4/10

Bitch’s Brew: Tommy Lee and Steven Adler join destructive forces and create a cocktail made with all their leftover alcohol. They then make a drinking game bet where the loser has to destroy Axl’s room and stay there to face the wrath. It ends with a pretty sweet kiss. 8/10

#Writing #Classic Rock #yes this whole post is me feeding my ego #but also a little bit of looking back on my teens fondly #GNR #Guns N Roses #Motley Crue #Led Zeppelin #Rush #Kiss #Alice Cooper

[tos-lore]

The Gathering of the Coven (Part 2)

Previous story: The Gathering of the Coven (Part 1)

Next story: The Mysterious Being

Story under the cut

A sickly man astride a horse loomed over the town, glaring down at its citizens. He held a smoking green lantern that smelled of death. He dismounted from his horse and began to waft at the smoke from his lantern. The smoke thickened and began pouring out from the lantern, billowing into large pools before rolling down the hill towards the town, undulation like a sea of serpents.

“Go now, drain the life from them. Give me strength,” croaked the sickly man.

Across the valley from the town the witches were entering their cave. They gathered around a map and began discussing where and when they should go next to find their newest recruit.

“We can recruit Angele de la Barthe from the 11th century France,” said Helena.

“No, let us recruit Mother Shipton from 14th century England,” retorted Nikki.

“Quiet, you two!” shouted the Witch. “This is where we must go, and the 12th century is when.” The Witch pointed to an unmarked section of the continent of Africa. “Here we will find a woman whose knowledge of herbs and poisons is so incredible it is unparalleled even to this day.”

The other members of the Coven where skeptical but, trusting their leader, nodded in agreement.

The Witch pulled out a handful of the ashes of her previous coven and threw them into the air. The ashes began to sparkle as their magic was released, opening a portal upon the wide plains of Africa. One by one, the witches stepped through the portal into a new time and place.

“Look!” shouted Medusa, pointing through the tall grass that surrounded them towars a small village. “Is this it?”

“Yes,” declared the Witch. Peering across the grass, the witches could see a woman grinding herbs into a paste and then applying the concoction to some of the men of the town. It looked as though she was healing their wounds. “That is her.”

As the woman finished applying the paste to the last of the wounded men, another man charged out of a hut and began screaming and shouting at her. From their distance the witches could not distinguish what was being said, but it was obvious the man was angry. He shoved the woman to the ground and stormed off. The woman stood up, brushed herself off and left to gather more herbs.

After a short time the woman returned and mixed the herbs she had gathered into a cup of water. She handed it to the man who had pushed her down. They seemed to be bonded by their customs, though neither seemed happy. The witched decided to wait for nightfall before approaching.

That night the town held a celebration around a huge bonfire, with dancing, singing, and food, but despite the festivities neither the man nor the woman appeared. After some discussion, the witches agreed to bide their time and try to meet with the woman the next day. They prepared a camp and placed protective runes around the perimeter before settling in to rest.

The next morning they awoke to the sound of blood-curdling screams. The woman was running out of the village, beaten and bloodied, followed closely by an angry mob hurling rocks. One of the rocks clipped the woman’s cheek, opening a gash that bled like a fountain. The woman continued to run, heading directly towards the witches.

“Get down!” the Witch shouted at the approaching woman, then gave a nod to Medusa. Medusa slithered forward.

The woman, startled by the sudden appearance of the witches, quickly threw herself to the ground. Through the tall grass she saw a faint flash of light. As the light faded, she found herself being helped up off the ground by the Witch, who said “We mean you no ill will. We are here to help you.” Franctic, the woman turned towards the mob, only to see that they were frozen in place like stone statues. Taken aback, the woman pulled away from the Witch, and then she saw Medusa. A scream left the woman that would chill a man to the bone.

“Don’t worry,” said the Witch calmly as she put her arm around the woman. “As I said before, we are not here to hurt you. We saved you. What is your name?”

“Wha…who….what is she?!” screeched the woman, waggling a finger at Medusa.

“She is a friend. She is the one who stopped the villagers from hurting you. Now, again, what is your name?” asked the Witch.

“Well, uh, it’s Kande,” said the woman cautiously.

“Are you okay?” asked the Witch. The Witch looked back over her shoulder. “Get over here, Nikki! Help this poor woman.”

Nikki walked over opening her coat and pulling out a potion. Kande pulled back, but the Witch insisted that Kande let the Potion Master help. Giving a reassuring smile, Nikki poured the potion over the wound on Kande’s cheek. It quickly sealed and vanished as though it had never existed. Not even a scar remained.

“Now, why were those villagers chasing you?” the Witch asked Kande.

Kande drew herself up proudly. “I was sick and tired of my husband. He would beat me. He would berate me. He would’ve ruined my life, so I had to do something. I poisoned his drink last night, but before I could sneak out this morning the villager found his body,” explained Kande.

The Witch beamed. “Such a potent poison! And with only what you could find nearby. You really are extraordinary!” she exclaimed. “How would you like to join us? We will look after you, and make sure that you are never again treated badly. Your knowledge of poisons would be of great benefit to us.”

Kande thought for a moment. “This is not the first time I have been chased out of a village. If you can keep that promise, I will join you,” she said with a smirk.

“It’s settled then,” the Witch said. She reached into her pocket and pulled out more ashes to sprinkle in the air. A portal opened to their cave and they all stepped through.

The Witch immediately began making preparations for her next trip. She reached into her pocket and pulled out more ashes to sprinkle in the air. A portal opened to their cave and they all stepped through.

The Witch immediately began making preparations for her next trip. She instructed Nikki to stay behind and heal the remainder of Kande’s wounds. Kande, meanwhile, was in awe ar all of the herbs and roots available to her, and giddy at the thought of what she could concoct. The Witch promised that she would have full access to any and all ingredients once she was feeling better, but that they must go to pick up another recruit.

The Witch opened another portal. Through it, towering pyramids could be seen in a vast desert. “This will be the furthest back we have ever traveled. We will be going back nearly 3000 years,” she marveled.

After stepping through the portal they found a large crowd of people surrounding one of the pyramids. Atop the pyramid a woman chanted, swaying over a table where a man lay, his chest cut open. The woman reached into the man’s chest and pulled out his heart, still beating, and held it aloft while the crowd cheered. The witches were too far away to hear what was being said, but the Witch knew that this woman was their new recruit.

The witches began to walk towards the pyramid, staying to the shadows to avoid being seen as the crows dispersed. They arrived at the pyramid just as the woman began walking back to her home. The witches followed quietly.

The witches waited outside as the woman relaxed. A young boy came in with a tray of food and began to feed the woman as she lay on her bed of silks. The Witch entered the home and stepped out from the shadows. The woman, upon seeing the Witch, panicked and quickly summoned several ghouls to defend herself. The ghouls lumbered towards the Witch, but with a wave of her hand the Witch dispersed them and they vanished.

“You are strong, but not strong enough to take me on,” chuckled the Witch.

“Who do you think you are?” shouted the woman.

The Witch spread her arms. “I am the one who will take you from this hole and help you realize your full potential.”

The woman looked insulted. “Hole? You look like a peasant in your tattered robes, while I am wearing gems and gold!” huffed the woman, motioning to the Witch’s clothes.

The Witch raised an eyebrow. “But are you happy? Do you feel complete? Do you feel powerful?” The Witch asked. “I can bring you to a world where your bloodlust will not be seen as something to control. I can show you a world where your powers will bring endless terror to a people who can be disposed of at the drop of a hat.”

Intrigued in spite of herself, the woman stepped closer. ”And where might this place be? How do you intend to even get out of here alive?” asked the woman.

“It is not so much of a where, but a when. Come, join my Coven of witches, and we can give you anything you desire,” the Witch said enticingly.

The woman pondered this. Her eyes reflected her inner turmoil as she considered whether it would be worth giving up her life of riches to be able to truly quench her thirst for blood. She lived the life of a princess, but could convince the pharaohs to sacrifice only so many people to the gods. Not enough, not enough.

The woman reached a decision. “When? Unrestricted use of my powers? This is very intriguing. My name Is Bakt Naunet,” she declared. “I am the Necromancer!”

The Witch threw a handful of ashes into the air, opening a portal home. “Welcome, Bakt, to my Coven,” said the Witch.

Upon walking through the portal the Witch saw Nikki and Kande at the mouth of the cave, peering across the valley. She joined them and through the distance saw a masked man holding a green lantern with smoke streaming out. Green billowing clouds descended upon the town. The town members seemd to be falling ill, coughing and sneezing as they stumbled around lethargically.

Turning to the other witches, the Witch cried, “Who is that man? Is he a demon? What is he doing to the Townsfolk? They are mine to kill! Mine!” she screamed.

#town of salem #long post #The Gathering of the Coven (Part 2) #login story

[lpdwillwrite4coffee]

CHILDREN OF LILITH CHAPTER FORTY

Hunters descended on the Bradley Corporation like a divine plague. They seeped through doorways, ducked out of ceiling tiles, and rose up from the floorboards. The steel and glass beast was infected with a virus dressed in black and armed with silver.

Half of the group had scaled to the top of the building and gone through the rooftop exit and maintenance passages they had discovered with Amsterdam’s blueprints. Griffin and the rest came through the tunnels, permeating the lower levels of the building, compromising its defenses. Tasha, Griffin, Lisa, and Boz split off, working west down the main corridor of the bottom floor.

Griffin tore down the dogs’ cage, ready to follow his gift as it sniffed out the enemy. Boz and Tasha paired up, moving to the south, and with Lisa at his back, Griffin led them to the first of many targets the dogs had found. Two Vampires, maybe four meters away, and coming closer.

Lisa was silent as she tucked herself into a shadow and waited. She slipped a dagger from her holster, pressing her back against the wall while Griffin hid inside a doorway.

The Vampires rounded the corner, and Lisa and Griffin attacked. Covering the mouth of the female, Lisa jammed her blade between her back ribs. Oozing green-grey ash began to pour from the wound as Lisa lowered the body to the ground.

Griffin attacked from the front, pinning the male to the wall and stabbing him through the chest. He wasn’t as gentle as Lisa, shoving him to the side, ash exploding from the torso. Once he was certain there weren’t any more Vampires on their side of the hall, he motioned for Lisa to keep moving. The dogs were on the trail of another pack.

With barely a sigh, he and Lisa dispatched the trio of Vampires with their throwing knives in record time. He watched as corpses dissolved into ash, and the dogs gave satisfied growls. Sensing the rest of his team was alive, Griffin gestured towards the stairwell and Lisa nodded.

They made it to the next floor up and paused on the landing just outside the door. The dogs had found eight Vampires- two only meters away and six more at the end of the hall. Wordlessly, he relayed the information to Lisa.

“Really?” She mouthed.

Not exactly pleased with the number either, he tilted his head in a nod.

Reaching to her waist holster, Lisa pulled out several more throwing knives and gripped one in her right hand, ready to send it flying in a millisecond. When she gave the signal she was ready, Griffin opened the door.

The first two Vampires went down smoothly, and they rushed for the others. Almost within range, uneasiness hit Griffin and he halted, pulling Lisa to a stop with him. The dogs snarled a warning and Griffin pulled out one of his Glocks from his chest holster.

The other six had heard them, and were headed in their direction.

Lisa pulled her own gun, planting her feet just as Griffin did the same. The first Vampire swung around the corner hissing, fangs bared and irises blanched. His pack mates were right behind him and soon the hall was crowded with broad, hulking creatures.

Griffin aimed and his first bullet took out the first male. Angry roars erupted and the others launched themselves at him. He and Lisa pumped round after round of silver into the pack, sending bodies crumbling to the floor.

But the last male, had bolted away from the fight, turning into a disappearing blur of fabric and flesh tones.

Lisa cursed, reloading her clip as they went after him. “So much for the element of surprise.”

The dogs howled a warning just as they reached the stairwell.

“You’re gonna need more firepower,” Griffin said, tossing open the door.

In moments the cramped cinderblock space was flooded with Vampires, and Griffin and Lisa held their ground, rapidly shooting down wave after wave of Newborns. Ash clouds hung in the air, but there was no sense of victory when the last creature fell.

Griffin’s head throbbed as the dogs filtered in dozens of new psyches, all teeming with bloodlust and rage.

“They know we’re here,” Griffin said. “And they’re gearing up for a fight.”

* * *

The door to Nikki’s room crashed open and Serena stood at the threshold, seething with anger.

“Get up.”

Panic and confusion froze Nikki to where she sat on the bed, words dying on her tongue.

“I said, get up,” Serena bellowed, fangs punching down into her mouth.

She rushed forward, grabbing Nikki by the arm and yanked her to her feet.

“I’d kill you now, but I don’t want to get blood on my Dior.”

Nikki stumbled as Serena hauled her out of the room and dragged her down the corridor. Other Vampires rushed past them, talking in worried tones, and she tried to understand what was happening.

“Where are you taking me?”

Serena snarled in her ear. “Where you should have been put in the first place.”

At the end of the hallway, she punched open the door to the stairwell and Nikki went cold. She started to pull away as her mind made leaps and bounds to catch up. She was being taken to one of the torture cells.

“No…No!” She yelled. “Let me go!”

Yanking Nikki so hard she nearly broke her arm, Serena hissed in her face.

“Stop fighting or I’ll rip your jaw off and wear it like a tiara!”

Nikki yelped, twisting in her hold and Serena shoved at her. If the female hadn’t had an inhuman grip, she would have fallen. Instead Nikki was lifted over each flight of stairs and soon she was being pushed through another steel door. The same steel door they had gone through to get Griffin.

At the first available cell, Serena’s fingers blurred over the keypad and Nikki was thrown in, collapsing on the cold tile.

“Stay, bitch,” Serena said, an angry smirk curving her lips.

The door slammed shut with a deafening clang, making Nikki flinch.

For several moments she stared at the steel in front of her in stunned terror. Getting to her feet, she pounded the metal with her fists. There was no handle on her side, only flat grey paneling that was freezing, just like the rest of the room.

“Help,” she screamed. “Somebody help me!”

Adrenaline flowed to her limbs, making them shake. Everything in her screamed to escape at any cost. She scraped at the metal, dug her nails in between the doorframe trying to reach the deadbolt. Jumping back, she kicked at it, only to topple over from the force of her hit. Pain shot up her shoulder from breaking her fall but she got up again.

After countless attempts, her legs gave out and she slid to the floor. Desperate tears trickled down her face as she glanced around the white room. It was her death chamber.

At first she thought the lights had been shut off in her cell.

Her vision went dark and she held her breath, waiting in the blackness. But a moment later the lights were back, and her eyes stung from the harsh fluorescence.

Her internal temperature didn’t plummet first- it skyrocketed, engulfing her in flames. Agonized screams echoed around the room as she curved into the fetal position. An unseen force collided with her like a sledgehammer, rolling her over twice. She tried to crawl away on instinct, but another hit rolled her twice and blood exploded from her mouth. She pushed up onto her forearms, and coughed, spraying the floor with crimson.

Lightning struck her body, traveling down her spine. More blood gushed from her nose and throat, pooling on the white tile. Another strike of energy threw her onto her back, and her limbs splayed outwards, unable to move.

Invisible flames melted her flesh, charred her bones. And all Nikki could do was listen to the staccato beat of her heart.

The white ceiling began to drift away while her pulse drummed louder. Her throat seized, refusing to allow anymore air to pass into her lungs. Mouth hanging open on a silent gasp, Nikki watched the dark ring surrounding her vision narrow. And still she burned.

Swallowed up by darkness, her only comfort was the drumming.

Thumpthump… Thumpthump… Thumpthump…

And then there was nothing.

* * *

Griffin grabbed the Vampire at the back of its skull and under his jaw, and twisted ferociously, snapping the male’s neck in a clean break. Yanking his dagger out of the creature’s low back, he aimed higher, stabbing it through the heart. Pushing the body to the side, he rolled to his feet and went after the next one.

A few skillful blows sent the female to the ground with green ash billowing out from the hole in her torso. Stepping over her, he plowed through the dense pack of Vampires that had found them.

The dogs gave a warning snarl and he spun around, lodging a silver blade into the heart of another male. Lisa was making a gory mess of a petite female in office attire, slicing her from the base of her throat to her navel before finishing her.

When his boot kicked up the dust of the last Vampire, they moved on, hurrying to sweep through as many floors as possible before every bloodsucker in the building knew they were there.

Jogging up the stairs, Griffin discarded his empty clips and reloaded his guns as Lisa shoved open the door and started throwing blades at unreal speeds. It was like more and more Newborns were being sent to guard each floor.

Thankfully for them, even though there were more Vampires, it didn’t mean they were better fighters. Blind with thirst, most flung themselves at the Hunters without thought or tactical skill. And that made them easy targets.

Griffin squeezed off multiple shots, carving an impressive chunk out of the pack of twenty. When Lisa’s knives were gone she pulled her gun from her holster and started firing. All around them bodies dropped to the floor.

The dogs ran wild, turning every emotion Griffin encountered into fuel. He took in the angry blood soaked memories of each Vampire he killed, and pumped it through his system, strengthening his body and ravaging his mind. His thoughts were growing hazier and less humane, and he tried to cling to the corner of light in his consciousness.

The dogs alerted him to Boz and Tasha’s arrival before he heard them. Lisa spun around, ready for more combat, but halted before she did any damage.

She cursed under her breath and lowered her weapon. “You guys scared me,” she said as they approached.

“Sorry,” Boz called.

“Is everything okay?”

“Sure, except for the crazy number of Vampires we’ve dusted,” he answered. “We haven’t even made it ground level yet, and we’re getting swarmed.”

“The higher ups know we’re here,” Griffin said, his voice deeply guttural. “That’s why we’re getting hit harder.”

“Great,” Boz muttered. “You think there’s a way to get up to one of their computer banks?”

“Yeah, if you’ve got enough ammo,” he said. “But why do you need to get to a computer?”

Boz grinned. “I’ve got a little gift for our fanged foes. But I’m gonna need back up while I’m installing it.”

Griffin turned to Lisa, about to ask if she wanted to trade off, when Tasha interjected.

“I’ll stick with you Boz,” she said.

“Cool,” he said, starting to head for the western stairwell. “We’re gonna have to get up to the tenth floor.”

Loading a fresh clip into her semi-automatic, she nodded. “Not a problem.” Giving Griffin a sympathetic glance, murmured, “Sorry, Griff. I’d stay with you, but… your head right now…”

“It’s okay,” he assured her. Looking over at Boz, he added. “Watch your backs.”

Tasha nodded. “Stay safe.”

The dogs were feeding more emotions back to him and he grimaced, feeling like his brain was being clawed out of his skull. He exhaled and it sounded like a growl.

Lisa frowned up at him. “You okay?”

“We’re just wasting time.” Pulling his phone from his pocket he dialed Otto and held the receiver to his ear. When the other line picked up he had to force his tone to stay even. “Where are you guys?”

“Near the southwest corner,” Otto said. “A couple floors up from where we started.”

“I’m gonna need you guys to help us punch a hole through the packs in the upper floors,” he told him. “I don’t wanna give Rex or Bradley anymore time.”

Otto made a noise of approval. “I like it. I’ll call the twins and get them in on this too.”

“Make it quick,” Griffin said. “I want you to circle up and attack from either side, squeezing them to the middle. You think you can do that?”

“You got it. What about our brethren that are more top-side?”

“Once we thin the herd, we’re gonna work down like a pressure cooker,” he explained. “You guys gotta punch me that hole first, alright Otto?”

“On it.”

Otto’s end of the line clicked and Griffin shoved his phone back into his pocket.

“Let’s go,” he told Lisa and strode further down the hall.

“Griffin,” she called after him.

Turning, he stared over his shoulder at her but didn’t speak.

“You didn’t answer my question,” she said. “Are you okay?”

The dogs growled, and he felt it in his chest. “No,” he admitted, and started walking again.

* * *

Nicholas roared, pushing past a cluster of Newborns and hurtled towards Serena. “You stupid cow!” He grabbed her by the arm, hauling her into an empty office.

“Nicholas, let go of me,” she shouted. “Stop it, you’re hurting me!”

He sneered. “No I’m not. This is hurting you!” He fisted a handful of her blonde hair and yanked, tearing her scalp.

Serena screamed in pain and clawed Nicholas across the face, leaving bloody scratches over his eyebrow and the bridge of his nose. They began healing as he spat at her.

“You ruined everything, and for what? A Sire who was going to have us killed?”

Twisting out of his hold, Serena pushed him away. “What are you talking about?”

“That was his plan all along, Serena,” Nicholas said, lowering his voice to a harsh whisper that made her skin crawl. “Why do you think I’ve been so fucking paranoid?”

“Because you’re insane,” she snarled. “You’ve always had a few screws loose Nicholas, but this is too far.”

Nicholas clutched her by the shoulders, pulling her closer. “Our Sire let a Luminari live, in the hopes that she would kill us for him. He let a wildfire run rampant all in the hopes that we might get caught in its blaze.” His eyes were crazed, widening as he spoke.

Serena stilled, her gut clenching with new anxiety. “That’s not true.”

Nicholas bit out a laugh. “It is. You sunk to your knees, declaring your loyalty to him at the first sign of his disappointment, and all the while he was deciding where the best seat would be to watch you turn to ash.”

“No,” Serena tried. Her voice faltered, as Nicholas’ words crashed over her.

His grip tightened as he said, “We have a chance now, Serena. We can be free of him.”

“How? Look around you, Nicholas. This place is under siege.”

“Exactly,” he said, grinning manically. “No one will know we’re gone.”

She scowled. “You want to run? This is your business- your empire.”

“Fuck the empire,” he growled. “We’ll start over and be better and stronger than Alexander could ever be.”

Suddenly he was clutching her face, trying to kiss her. Serena shoved him back.

“No,” she yelled. “I don’t trust you, Nicholas. I’m not sure I trust anyone anymore, but I sure as hell won’t run away with you. Not when you’re so obviously cracked.”

A dark fury Serena had never seen before stormed in Nicholas’ eyes. For a moment she expected him to behead her right then, but instead he curled his lip, leaning forward.

“Fine,” he whispered. “Then I hope you burn with the rest of them.”

He pushed her away from the door, and blurred out of the room and down the hall. Nicholas didn’t realize he’d made it to the basement holding area until his fingers were already tapping a sequence along the keypad.

Flinging the door open, he strode over to the man still handcuffed to the chair and snapped the chain.

Hauling him up, Nicholas smiled at the terrified whimper he made.

“Come along, Twitch,” he said, petting the bloody mop of curls on his head. “We’re leaving.”

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