Chronicles of The Omniverse Archived Lutetia City: Rollin' Bones Casino

[Knosis]

as written by Knosis

Rowan stood at the window, his figure casting long shadows against the floor against the golden rays of the setting sun. Dust nodes seemed to glow around him, hanging in the air as if time itself had slowed to a near stand still. He was quiet, his face relaxed and expressionless. He was a mockery against the thrumming of activities that went on all around him. A stone in the river, unmoving as the tide moved around him.

He grinned at that thought. A wolf among sheep, ironic.

"We attack tonight." He addressed the group he knew stood behind him. "Tonight, we will cause Baron more than just a little bit of trouble." He said with a grin. Rowan's eyes glinted in the light, glowing brightly as he turned to look at the rest. The energy could be felt through the pack. The blood lust in the pack was nearly intoxicating.

 

[Tiko]

as written by Script

"Been waiting to hear you say that." Jason grinned broadly at Rowan's words. Ever since they captured that doctor, he'd been waiting impatiently for it to be time to make another move. He'd half hoped that Baron's lot would've been bolder in playing at rescue.

Turned out they were too pussy, too busy with their new recruits, if you could call the rabble he'd heard they'd taken in that. He snorted at the thought. "It's been too long since I could really get my teeth into a fight."

The muscular young man was leaning lazily against a wall, a vicious glint in his eye as he ran over the possibilities that the night might hold.

 

[Tiko]

as written by Tiko, Knosis, and Script

"Just don't forget, it won't just be your people bleeding out there tonight," Batu growled. "All the arrangements have been made?"

A few eye turned as the vampire entered, and Batu took note of each and every one. His arrangement with Rowan was a tentative one, and unlike the blood lust that drove the werewolves, for him it was a profitable business venture and nothing more.

A careful balance had to be maintained though. Batu wouldn't bow to the werewolf pack leader, but neither would he cross the lines of respect demanded while within the heart of Scion territory lest he find himself rent limb from limb so far from his own allies.

Rowan turned to face the newcomer, and his smile turned to a dangerous smirk. “Of course. There are a few minor details that still need to be worked out, but we have a few hours still.” Rowan said. “The question is, are you and yours ready?”

Rowan could sense the questions that would be raised from the lowers of the pack. Only a few chosen in his higher ranks knew about the pact with Batu’s vampires. Werewolves and vampires did not normally work together, but it was over the course of time that Rowan had slowly integrated his territory to include safe havens for house-less vampires. It was almost to the point they coexisted somewhat decently.

Rowan wanted this to work to his advantage. “I am expecting our little surprise to be to die for.”

"Baron's litter will bleed a tide for every scratch we take in turn. You needn't worry about your people as long as they can keep up," Jason said, a slight sneer upon his face as he looked across at Batu.

Batu looked between Rowan and Jason before letting out an amused snort as some of the tension of his arrival seemed to ease. "They'll hold their own," Batu assured the pair.

"Claire," he called out.

"She's the best I could find, that fit your... needs," Batu explained as the woman entered behind him. "Her price is a bit unorthodox though. She's asked for four pints of werewolf blood."

It was a bold request to be certain.

The woman seemed to melt from the shadows and appear in the room with the rest. Her green eyes were soft and seemingly emotionless as she stood slightly behind her new boss. Her black hair was stark against the white of her pale skin. Claire, even for vampire standards, was stunning.

“Unorthodox for most, perhaps.” She spoke calmly. “But if you require my services, it is a tool that I require to be able to do my job properly.” Her accent was thick, but not harsh. Almost a commanding tone, as if she had once been a leader, or a motivator. “In particular, the more powerful the werewolf, the better it is for me.”

Rowan glanced at the girl, thinking of a solution.

“I think I can provide. Jason, call up Raven and have her bring Jesse.”

Jason suppressed a snort of amusement. If the more powerful the werewolf the better, then the Bloodstones' pet nurse might as well be a puppy for all the good he would do her. He knew better than to remark as such, though. If Rowan wanted to throw her four pints of Werewolf Lite, it wasn't his place to question it. He pulled his phone from his pocket and stepped out to make the call.

 

[Tiko]

as written by Knosis, Script, and Tiko

Raven arrived a little while later, holding Jesse tightly by the shoulder. "Brough' the welp." She stated the obvious.

The scrap of a werewolf certainly didn't look like much next to the Scion bruisers at hand, but his nerve proved more formidable than his gangly body and he stood his ground among the rival pack. He grit his teeth against Raven's rough handling, but held his silence while he waited to find out why he had been sent for.

Rowan nodded and grinned at the doctor. He walked over and motioned for Claire to follow. "Ms. Claire, allow me to introduce my resident doctor. He's going to be the one helping us this evening." He then waved for Jason to follow as he took Jesse's other shoulder, nodding to Raven to back off. "Come with me, my dear friend. "

His voice was dripping with dark intent.

Jason flashed Jesse a predatory grin as he passed by, before falling into step behind them.

He led the small group down towards the vault, passing the guards uncontested. He never let Jesse's shoulder go, and his aura was a dark looming presence over Jesse. Claire was silent and swift to follow behind all three men while Batu trailed at the back as he too joined them downstairs.

Once down the basement stairs, he motioned for Clair and Jesse to sit, for Jason to stay by Jesse. "You see, Jesse.." He started off. "My friend, Ms. Claire needs blood. Particularly, werewolf blood." He stated, moving over to a covered cage.

He pulled off the cover of the cage. "Time to wake up, dear." He banged lightly on Re'Altarm's cage. "Jesse, I'll need you to draw 4 pints of her blood." He said, casually.

It took a second for it to register, just what Rowan wanted him to do before Jesse balked.

"Four pints?! That'll kill her," he protested, aghast. "My cooperation for her safety, that was the agreement!"

"The plan's changed, and if you do it properly she'll live. I've seen the ambulance she came out of the night she transformed the first night." Rowan grinned. "I at least thought I would ask you first." He turned to Jesse and smiled his cursed friendly grin.

"If you're not feeling up to it," Jason interjected from behind Jesse, leaning heavily on the chair. "I can always do it my way. Messier, sure... but a lot faster." He chuckled maliciously.

Jesse grit his teeth and balled his fingers into tight fists until his nails dug into his palms. Either he killed her with a needle in her arm, and hypovolemic shock, or he watched that animal gut her alive.

Even with the alternative, it wasn't an easy decision. It flew in the face of his oaths as a medical practitioner.

"Two from her, two from me, that'll get you your four pints," Jesse proposed.

Rowan frowned. "Jason, would you do the honors?" Rowan turned his back towards the cage, as if he were heading towards the stairs.

"No, wait," Jesse said as he started to his feet, only for Jason's iron grip to push him right back down into the chair again. "I'll do it, alright?"

His face had gone pale at the prospect, but at least this way he was giving her a chance of survival - however slim it might be. At least that's what he told himself.

Moving his hand from Jesse's shoulder, Jason breathed out a snort of disappointment. "And there I was hoping you wouldn't have the guts," he murmured.

 

[Tiko]

as written by Knosis and Tiko

Rowan couldn't help but grin for a brief moment before he let it fade and turn around to Jesse with a stern face. "Very well then. Jason, let our doctor up please." Rowan walked over to the cage.

Re'Altarm was huddled in the corner, her face dirty and smudged with blood here and there. It was obvious she hadn't made it easy for anyone to get near her.

Jesse started rolling up his sleeves as he made his way towards the cage before crouching down to get a look at her while he waited for someone to bring him the things he would need.

"Hey..." he said. "How are you holding up?"

There was a heavy weight of guilt and shame in his eyes, for what he was about to do. But what choice did either of them have?

Re'Altarm scooted closer to Jesse, looking up at him with wide eyes. She looked nearly wild, with her hair knotted in some places. "I'm.. I'm doing alright I suppose.. Nights are hard.." She trailed off. Her eyes softened. "Go ahead. I don't blame you."

Raven appeared a few minutes later with her personal supplies she used to either stitch up her comrades, or torture her victims. In it would be the needles and blood bags needed. "No funny business, kid." She warned before tossing him the bag of supplies. "Remember, I still have my own with me." She grinned, patting the white lab coat where Jesse would know she kept her blades.

Jesse tried to ignore Raven for the most part, as he focused on Re'Altarm. Unfortunately her words did little to stem the guilt that gripped him.

"I'm going to do everything I can to get you through this, alright?" Jesse told her. "I need you to shift over here, on your back with your feet up against the bars there. And whatever you do, keep them elevated, alright?"

"I'll try.." She said, moving to the position that Jesse had asked her to get into. She looked away from him, hoping to ease his guilt for all of this. But she couldn't help the fast throbbing of her heartbeat, as if it anticipated what was about to happen.

 

[Tiko]

as written by Tiko and Knosis

It was with practiced hands that Jesse went to work opening up the bag and preparing the needle. Administering it through the bars of the cage would be awkward, so he helped guide her arm through the bars so that it rested on his legs as he applied a tourniquet.

"Just try to keep calm. Deep breaths," he told her as he inserted the needle.

Re'Altarm squirmed slightly, making a face as the needle had pierced her skin.

Once it was in Jesse hooked up the bag and a steady trickle of blood began to flow. He applied a piece of tape to help keep the needle in place before removing the tourniquet.

"There, the worst of it's over," he lied.

Re'Altarm smiled up at him. "You don't have to lie, you know. Remember.. I was near dead before you found me the first time. You've not let me down yet, and I doubt you will. I'll be fine." She reassured him.

"I'm not sure if you're a wolf, or a cat," Jesse jested lightly.

The light attempt at a joke didn't do much to ease the anxiety of the situation though, but he did his damndest to remain calm and at ease, for her sake.

As the process got underway, he monitored her pulse with a gentle hold on her wrist.

The first pint went smoothly enough, as did the second, but by the third she was beginning to feel it. The color had drained from her skin and her pulse was beginning to feel thready.

"Almost there," he reassured her.

Re'Altarm had long since closed her eyes, but they fluttered open when Jesse spoke again. They were rimmed and dark, and she panted as if it were an effort to keep breathing. She could feel the throbbing of her heart in her ears. Still, she managed to smile faintly at him. She didn't trust her voice, or even if she had the energy to speak.

Her condition began to deteriorate rapidly once the fourth bag was put into place. Her breath was coming in short rapid gasps, and her skin was cool and clammy to the touch.

"Shit, Re deep breaths," he told her. "You're going to pass out."

He doubted she could hear him anymore though and he let out a curse as her head lolled to the side and her body fell limp. The fourth bag was only half full.

"Fuck," he bit out as he reached to disconnect the needle from her arm.

 

[Tiko]

as written by Script, Knosis, and Tiko

He was caught halfway, however, as Jason reached down and grabbed him. "Four bags," he growled. In the same instant, the larger man's eyes flicked towards Rowan for a cue.

Rowan had been watching from the shadows the entire time, and giving one look to Jason suggested that the job would be finished-- One way or another. Re'Altarm was useful to them alive, and Jesse's cooperation was useful. But tonight was a night for risks, was it not? And Rowan was planning to win.

"Make sure we get the full four bags, Jason."

"She's gone into hypovolemic shock, you're going to kill her!" Jesse protested.

"Wrong on that one, sport," Jason remarked with a toothy grin. "We never laid a finger on her."

As Jesse went to try and reach for Re'Altarm with his other hand, Jason once again stopped him. With a vice-like grip on his upper torso, he hauled him backwards and away so he couldn't interfere any further.

Jesse watched on helplessly as Re'Altarm faded rapidly with each ounce of blood drawn, but Jason's crushing hold showed no sign of abaiting.

Re'Altarm's breathing was still coming in short quick bursts. Raven, after a bit, walked over to the near dead girl and glanced at the bag. She seemed satisfied, and closed the plug on the IV before pulling the bag. "'Tis done, boss. Four pints, as requested. Can't believe she's still breathing after all that, though." She grinned wickedly. "If she lives through this, I'll enjoy opening her up one day while she's awake."

Raven picked up the other three bags and crossed over to Claire, handing them over. Rowan stood and walked over to Jason and Jesse. "Stuff the pup in the cage with the other mutt. We've got to be going."

Jason released his grip on Jesse before walking over to open the cage with a key from his pocket. "In you get, then," he instructed as he swung the door open.

Jesse didn't need to be told twice as he fell to Re'Altarm's side inside the cage, pulling the tape and needle free from her arm and checking her pulse.

There was scarcely one left that he could feel, and her skin was cold to the touch. He swiftly shed his jacket and put it over her, but there wasn't anything more he could do without medical supplies, and the means of giving her a blood transfusion.

"I reckon there's some good betting to be done in how long you can keep her going for," Jason remarked with a cruel laugh, swinging the cage shut behind him and fastening the lock.

Rowan grinned and walked over to the cage, crouching so that he was even with Jesse. "See? Isn't this pleasant? She at least has a sporting chance. And if she does die.. Well, she won't be alone in the next life." He slowly stood up, his blue hues glowing as the wolf seemed to pace impatiently within.

"Lets go. The time is now." Rowan growled, turning his back to the cage. "Raven, inform the others to get in positions. Batu.. You know what to do." He quickly made his way to the stairs.

"Too bad for your band of mutts that you're all cooped up here," Jason murmured with mock sympathy, before baring his teeth in a grin that might as well have been a snarl. "They're gonna need a doctor before we're through with them." With a final laugh, he turned and followed Rowan.

The night had only begun.

 

[Tiko]

as written by Tiko and Script

Some time later...

Baron's truck screeched to a hault outside the front of the Rollin' Bone Casinos, and boots were hitting the pavement before it even came to a full stop.

"Shotgun," Baron called out as he held a hand up.

Bastien tossed him a pump-action shotgun before jumping down from the bed of the truck to join the rest.

There were no words, everyone knew the plan. In and out, hard.

Baron was the first in as he smashed the glass pane on one of the locked entrance doors with the butt of his shotgun. Alarms started sounding immediately as he stepped through, broken glass crunching beneath his boots.

He raised his shotgun and unloaded a round into the security guard seated at the front desk as he stood up, and the man dropped with a gaping hole in his chest before he even got his side-arm from its holster.

Two more fell as the rest of the pack stepped through the broken window and lent their own fire support. Three bodies, and from the sounds of it more coming as the pack fanned out and kept an eye on the various entrances into the lobby. It was not a good place to be caught lingering for long. Far too open.

Bastien knelt by one of the fallen security guards before looking up. "Humans."

"Julienne?" Baron growled.

"I'm trying, I can't smell a damn thing in here," Julienne grit back.

The place reeked of the Scion pack.

"We don't have all night, shift if you have to," Baron growled as he dropped another security guard that appeared in one of the lobby entrances.

"Wait, I got it. This way," she said as she led them off at a run.

They fell back with her in an orderly fashion to avoid being shot in the back if anymore security guards entered.

The trail led them from the lobby and onto the main floor of the casino. Slot machines, roulette wheels and tables set for card games lay silent all over the room whilst the beady eyes of security cameras swept overhead. None of the pack paid them any mind - the Scions would know who had hit them regardless of whether they were on tape or not, and they sure as hell weren't going to go to the police. A bar lay at the far side of the room, a full wall of spirits reflected in the mirror that lay behind them. The floor seemed deserted to begin with, but Snow spotted movement out of the corner of his eye as he scanned the room.

"By the third row of slots," he called out, raising his weapon and firing a shot at the security guard who had ducked out from cover to fire on them. The man fell backwards with a short lived grunt of pain, red seeping into his uniform.

Their path took them towards the center of the Casino, and though Julienne had to pause a few times, uncertain which direction to take, they swiftly found themselves at the central stairwell that spiraled upwards to the upper floor. It was to the door leading down that Julienne stopped at though. She scented the air catching a whiff of what she was looking for through the cracks in the door.

"Here," she said. She tried the handle. "It's locked."

"Bastien?" Baron asked over his shoulder while keeping an eye on the way they had come.

Bastien didn't respond with words, but the oomph of exertion and the splinter of wood was answer enough. Julienne fell back now, letting Bastien and Snow take the lead. There was no telling what they would find down there.

 

[Tiko]

as written by Script and Tiko

Snow took point in advancing down the staircase, his shotgun at the ready. When he reached the bottom and swept into the room, it was only a moment before he lowered it. "They're here," he called, moving towards the cage in the corner of the room.

Jesse gaped at the appearance of Snow. He had heard the gunfire upstairs, but he hadn't dared hope on the source of it, but seeing Snow here swept away the sinking dread of watching Re'Altarm die and breathed new hope into him.

"She needs to get to the hospital," Jesse told Snow.

There was an edge of urgency to his voice as he stooped to lift the unconscious woman in his arms.

Nodding wordlessly, Snow took a moment to examine the lock on the cage. It was fairly solid, likely designed to keep werewolves safely contained. Brute force was unlikely to get them far with it. "Do you know if there's anyone here who would have a key to this?" he asked Jesse.

"No idea," Jesse answered.

"Then we might have to shoot it off..." he muttered, "we don't have time to go on a scavenger hunt. Get as far away from the door as you can."

Jesse raised an eyebrow before stepping back to the far corner of the cell. He turned away, so as to shield Re'Altarm as best as able from any potential ricocheting bullets.

Stepping to the side to reduce the chances of being struck himself as much as possible, Snow held his weapon out to one side, aimed for the lock, and pulled the trigger. With a loud bang and a ping of metal on metal, the bullet struck the lock and ricocheted off it into the wall, but the lock held. Snow scowled, and after a moment's pause, fired a second time.

This time the bullet did the job. The mangled lock dropped to the ground and once more the shot hit the wall. "Let's get you out of here," he said, beckoning to Jesse even as he was moving back towards the door.

Jesse followed as best he was able, but Re'Altarn wasn't exactly light. He had to stop and adjust his hold on her as he climbed the stairs after Snow. It cost them some much needed time though, and as the group began to spill back into the main lobby, the sounds of tires screeching could be heard outside.

"What's that?" Vanessa asked.

"Trouble," Baron answered grimly. "Time's up."

"That was fast," Snow muttered with a grimace, "so much for a clean in and out."

Baron moved up beside one of the doors and glanced around the edge to try and get a look at what was going on out there before ducking back with a grimace.

"The girl won't last long without the truck," Bastien noted.

"None of us will," Baron answered. "Bastien, go back and find another exit. We're going to need another vehicle. We'll use the truck for cover and thin as many as we can. Jesse, go with Bastien."

 

[Tiko]

as written by Tiko, Knosis, and Script

As Bastien headed off with Jesse in tow, the rest of the pack moved into place. Lowering his shotgun and drawing his pistol for its greater effective range, Snow moved forwards with the remaining pack to take cover behind the truck. Nieve took a position by the front, her rifle at the ready.

"You know this never ends well for you, right?" Baron called out to Rowan from behind the truck where he was crouched down out of immediate line of sight. He was feeding shells into his shotgun.

"You taking my property? As I remember, it never goes well for you either." Rowan motioned to Raven and the others to start spreading out as soon as they were out of Raven's van. "I'm just here to settle a score with you."

"That so?" Baron called back.

"Aim for Rowan, if he goes down the rest will break," Baron told those behind the truck with him. "On my mark."

His finger played along the trigger of his shotgun before he nodded.

"Now."

He rose to one knee, aiming his shotgun over the hood of his truck at the position he had heard Rowan speaking, and squeezed the trigger. The crack of the gun split the air, but the bullet missed its mark by half a foot as it instead blasted out a window on the van.

Julienne, Snow and Vanessa too joined Baron as they unloaded their side-arms - bullets pinging off Rowan's bike as they focused fire on his location.

Nieve ducked out from the cover of the front of the truck to lay down fire from her rifle towards him. There was little time to line up a shot lest she risk taking fire herself, but her aim was good and a spray of bullets cut a path through the air towards Rowan and his bike.

 

[Tiko]

as written by Knosis and Tiko

Rowan was just able to duck behind the Van as Baron's shot hit the window. Raven rounded the end of the van and aimed to try to take a shot or four at Julienne. Rowan pulled his side arm out with a grin. "You're aim is still terrible." He shouted.

Yvette was far more reckless in her approach, trusting her regenerative capabilities as she cut across open lot firing round after round at those taking cover behind Baron's truck. With Rowan drawing most of their fire, she made it to the large stone fountain that dominated the front lot of the casino. She crouched down behind the stone wall, still riddling Baron's truck with bullets through the spray of water.

Simon circled in the opposite direction, his gun held down towards the ground as he ran at a crouch hoping to get around to the back of the truck while the Bloodstone pack member were weathering heavy fire.

Though the side of Baron's truck was beginning to look about as abused as a tin can on a firing range, and all the windows had been shot out, it was one of Raven's shots that found its mark.

Julienne dropped from view as the bullet struck her.

Meanwhile amid the gunfire, another car screeched into the front lot, a black sedan that drew some fire of its own. It swerved sharply as one of its tires blew out, but it safely came to a halt next to the van.

Stepping out of it was a none too happy looking Batu. He kept low as he slammed the door shut and moved behind the van which afforded a lot more cover. His driver didn't fair as well, and he lay slumped in the front seat of the car where a bullet had struck him clean in the side of the head.

"This was not the plan," the irate vampire growled.

Rowan glared at the vampire with a deadly stare. "Plans change when someone leaks information." He growled back.

Plan or not, Batu was no coward though and he was already readying his own side-arm to join the gunfight.

"I sent Damien and Lance around the back," he added. "Claire's moving into place."

As if on cue, Claire reformed on the roof top of the nearest building, panting heavily. 'Damned idiot..', she thought to herself. It had taken three mistings to get here as fast as she did. She opened her pack and pulled out one of the bags of blood she had stored that evening and began to drain it. Her eyes fluttered as the ecstasy of the werewolf blood hit her like a drug. It was rather potent, more so than the other stuff she had before. Still, she had to focus. Once empty, she tossed the empty container back in her bag and started setting up with the rifle on the roof top. While she worked, she drained a second bag.

 

[Tiko]

as written by Tiko, Knosis, and Script

Behind Baron's truck, Julienne sat with her back to the vehicle as she hissed in pain trying get a look at the bullet wound in her shoulder. Vanessa ducked down with her, pausing only long enough to peel back the bloody shirt from Julienne's shoulder to assess the damage. From the look of it, the bullet had gone clean through with minimal damage.

"You'll live," she said.

Overhead a bullet struck the plaster of the building, causing Vanessa to instinctively duck lower before she rose back up to return her own fire at Raven.

Raven ducked back around the van as the bullet grazed her arm.

"Can you still shoot?" Baron growled over the gunfight.

"I can shoot."

"They're trying to flank us," he said. "Switch out places with Nieve. Nieve, take the fountain," he instructed.

With her rifle, she was their best bet at making that shot.

Nieve nodded wordlessly, moving over to take Julienne's position and ready her rifle. She took a deep breath before rising up to level the weapon towards Yvette and fire off a burst of three shots, two of which struck Yvette center mass, before she quickly dropped back down. "She's hit," Nieve stated simply.

 

[Tiko]

as written by Tiko and Script

Damien and Lance were fast closing on their quarry as they arrived in the lobby of the Casino, and both were armed with handguns as they took up a place on either side of the doors. They exchanged a glance and a nod before they stepped out from behind cover, firing in unision.

"Look out!" Snow's yell came moments before the vampires stepped out, after picking up their scent as they approached. They were sitting ducks if the flanking attackers were allowed to hold their positions, and as the first shots were fired Snow had already broken into a run towards them. Out of the corner of his eye he saw that Nieve had followed his lead and joined him in the charge.

The vampires' shots grazed both the arctic werewolves as they closed, one striking Snow in the ribs whilst another tore straight through one of Nieve's ears. The next moment they were upon them. Snow had pulled his combat knife free of its sheathe and thrust up for under Damien's ribcage. Across from him, Nieve had her own knife out, but had gone for a full-bodied tackle on Lance to try and drive him to the floor.

Lance bared his fangs at Nieve as she took him to the ground, betraying his vampire nature before he kicked her free and rolled to a crouch. His gun had been lost in the scuffle, but he opened his coat to reveal a pair of knives that he swiftly drew. Broken glass littered the ground under their feet, and bits of it had embedded into both their flesh.

Meanwhile Snow's knife had found its target, but rather than the fresh pulse of warm blood that Snow might have anticipated, only the faintest trickle of blood leaked from the wound. Damien grinned widely, baring fangs before pulling Snow closer to slam his head forward to headbutt the werewolf in the face.

Off to the side, the commotion hadn't gone unnoticed by Julienne who had dropped back down for cover.

"They're working with fucking bloodsuckers," she snarled.

"Where the fuck is Bastien?" Baron demanded.

"I'm almost out," Vanessa said as she dropped down as well.

Julienne checked the clip in her gun with a grimace.

"Three more rounds for me," she said.

 

[Tiko]

as written by Knosis and Tiko

Raven took a chance and started to make a run for the water fountain as well as fast as she could, firing shots towards the truck as she did to try to keep them down until she could duck behind the fountain.

Rowan also offered cover fire as he peeked over the hood of the van, taking aim and firing upon the first target he could get a lock on.

Raven made it to the water fountain and to the side of the hit girl. "Stupid, getting yourself hit like that.." She hissed. Raven pulled the clothes to the side to check her wound. Yvette was recovering quickly. "Once you're able, we're going to try to make it to the truck, you understand me?" She hissed. "They can't keep shooting like this forever."

"I'm fine," Yvette grit out.

The wounds had already healed closed as she got to her feet, keeping down this time.

Claire was set up by this point, looking through her rifle for any targets she had in scope. She waited patiently. "Batu, I can't get a visual on them. If they go into the building, I'd have to reposition again, and most likely won't be any assistance." She said quietly, calmly. "If there is any way to get the target out in the open, then I can take the shot."

"Claire doesn't have line of sight," Batu informed Rowan. "And the police are going to be crawling all over this place soon."

Rowan gritted his teeth and nodded.

"Right." Rowan said, handing Batu his second hand gun. "Cover me."

Rowan waited for a second more, then made an attempt to run for the truck. In seeing Rowan making the attempt, Raven ran as well, her gun up and ready to shoot anyone who'd appear over the truck to take a shot.

 

[Tiko]

as written by Tiko

Baron emptied his pocket and loaded the last two shells into his shotgun as Rowan made a move on the truck. He took a breath and rose up to try and get a shot on Rowan, but one of Batu's bullets grazed past his ear, and another stuck the hood of the truck only inches from his face as he was forced to duck back down.

In his head he was counting paces though. Four paces, three, two, one.

He stood again, this time anticipating Rowan reaching the truck, but he was far too close to fire the rifle. Instead, Baron used it to intercept the lunging werewolf as he cleared the hood of the truck. The two hit the ground at a roll before Baron shoved Rowan free and they both came to their feet as Baron brought the butt of the rifle around towards Rowan's face viciously.

Meanwhile, Simon had made his way around the back of the vehicle and unloaded several rounds into the fray before Julienne rounded on him and emptied the last of her bullets into his chest.

 

[Tiko]

as written by Script and Tiko

In the lobby entrance Nieve had rolled to her feet, not wasting a second in trying to use the window of opportunity as Lance drew out his knives to rise, stepping into a vicious roundhouse kick to his face.

Damien raised on arm to intercept the kick, and as the blow struck his forearm, he drove his other hand up and in to bury the knife in her inner thigh, aiming for the femoral artery.

The blade struck true and Nieve let out a pained gasp, falling backwards as Damien shoved upwards to unbalance her. She landed hard, trying to kick out at him with her good leg to stop him pinning her. Blood had begun to pour forth from the wound in her thigh at an alarming rate, coating the floor beneath them.

Meanwhile nearby Snow reeled backwards from Lance's headbutt, quickly shaking his head to reorient himself as he took a couple of steps away.

Lance's grin didn't abate as he held his hands wide so that Snow could watch the wound reknit closed.

"Didn't bring anything bigger?" he asked.

Glowering, Snow circled around to assess his best option for another angle of attack, but the smell of spilled blood drew his attention to where Nieve and Damien were engaged. There wasn't time to play this like a duel where he could wait for the right moment. With an uncharacteristically aggressive snarl, he lunged forwards to try and drive Lance backwards into the wall with a forceful slam, grabbing for the vampire's neck with his free hand and going for the heart with his knife.

 

[Tiko]

as written by Tiko and Knosis

Meanwhile on the nearby rooftop.

"Taking the shot."

There was a crack in the air that sounded like thunder in the distance. The shot hit the target, and a silver bullet passed through Baron's middle before he could bring the butt down on Rowan completely. Claire needed to move, and quick now. She pulled up her rifle and started towards her next spot.

"Moving to the next location, Batu."

Rowan took the opportunity as Baron was stunned to rush up and punch the man square in the jaw as hard as he possibly could.

The blow drove Baron to the ground, but he hadn't the luxury of a moment to regain his senses. The burning flesh of the wound that had been pierced through his midsection spoke of the silver that the bullet had been laced with. A snarl tore free from his throat as he rose to bodily drive Rowan back into the truck hard enough to plow them into the frame and turn it in place by several feet. The back end of the spinning truck knocked Vanessa and Julienne to the ground, but both rolled free.

 

[Tiko]

as written by Dashmiel

Meanwhile, atop an overlooking rooftop to the east of the casino lot.

Ragenard found the perfect perch overlooking the fray just in time to register his brother getting shot, but was unable to determine where the shot came from as coherent thought rapidly began to evaporate the more he scanned the scene. He could smell familiar blood, intermingled with them.

From his vantage point, he could tell Julienne was fit to fight and that his brother was not yet down for the count. A quick glance told him Snow was involved somehow, probably fine. He could smell another one too, but he faltered before he could recall his name.

His last fully coherent thought was to drop his kit on the rooftop for later access before his world turned primal and the change was upon him. Fixating on the loud clanking Baron's truck produced when his brother slammed Rowan into it, a naked and rapidly shifting mass of gore that was now Ragenard launched itself straight into the truck from a height of a few stories, immediately suffusing the air with the sounds of snarling and twisting metal as he thrashed his way through the trucks innards.

"There were two of them-Running-Don't know who they were-Not Family-Blood-Enemies--Them-Running here-It's behind-Kill." Ragenard's thoughts became a chaotic swirl of primal instinct, minimal thought, and pure fury.

A fury which expressed himself as an ebony-furred monstrosity vigorously smashing it's way out of Baron's truck in the direction of the approaching Not-Pack members. Body momentarily half-hidden by the universal motion of shit's-about-to-get-thrown, Ragenard emerged from the rubble of Baron's truck and immediately let loose a makeshift projectile in the form of the entire engine block of Baron's truck, which would now be propelled through the air at a frightening velocity in a direct line through the approaching runners and towards the vampire by the van behind them.

 

[Tiko]

as written by Tiko and Script

Inside the front lobby the scuffle was looking grim for Nieve. Damien jerked his knife free of her thigh, which gave an alarming spurt of blood, but with him bent over her, she couldn't quite get her other leg up enough to shove him off her. Worse yet, her entire abdomen was exposed to him.

The second stab left the six inch blade buried to its hilt in the right side of her stomach. Using the knife to keep her in place he pulled himself up higher and discarded his other knife in favor of grabbing her by the throat.

With her firmly in hand now he jerked the knife free of her stomach, but his body weight resting on her abdomen only did further damage as it forced exposed intestine into the open wound. The scent of the freshly spilled blood hot in the air over-rode his senses though and he discarded the second knife in favor of pinning one of her wrists to limit her struggles before he tore into her throat with a feral snarl.

Nieve's breaths were short and laboured as what had started as an offensive turned into a battle for her life. The pain of her injuries was almost overwhelming, but her will was iron. She would endure. Her right hand still clutched her knife and with surprising ferocity for her state of injury she brought it up to drive it straight through the side of Damien's neck.

Nieve's blood spilled from Damien's mouth as the knife pierced his throat and rendered him unable to feed. The pain of the wound failed to penetrate the ecstasy of the fresh werewolf blood that filled his veins, but a sense of awareness as to what had transpired pierced the blood frenzy that gripped him.

In its place came anger. He grabbed her wrist on reflex, to try and prevent her from doing further damage, but with the blade stabbed clean through his throat he couldn't sit up.

His free hand found the open wound in her stomach as he forced it inside of her to grab a fistfull of intestine. He bore his weight down on her, savoring the knowledge that she could feel his hand buried up to the wrist in her guts. He wanted to hear her scream before he ripped them from her.

But there was no scream. Nieve's eyes widened as pain tore through her, and blood spilled out from her mouth, but she refused to give him the satisfaction of breaking her. She tried in vain to pull on her knife, but Damien's grip was solid. In the final moments before he ripped his hand back, her lips curled in a snarl. "Zhalkiya sichtek," she spat at him defiantly.

Damien snarled in anger at the dying woman's insolence, but he would have to take what satisfaction he could from the color draining from her face, and the anguished cry of her packmate as he tore her entrails free from the gaping wound.

His other hand ripped her knife free from his neck and he dangled her intestines in front of her before dropping them onto her stomach and standing up.

A last gasp escaped Nieve's lips, and her hand fell limply from the hilt of her knife. Her vision blurred as she lay there unable to move, blood continuing to pool beneath her. The wound was undoubtedly fatal, but it would be an agonisingly slow death. Her consciousness threatened to leave her, but something in her was still fighting, refusing to accept the end. And so she lay with her eyes open and staring at the lobby ceiling, her fingers occasionally twitching, but otherwise motionless.

 

[Tiko]

as written by Tiko and Script

Lance's back hit the corner of the building next to one of the glass doors but he made no move to evade the knife that Snow burried into his chest. It drew a pained grunt from him as he closed his fingers around Snow's other wrist, and his lips were stained with blood as he continued to grin like some madman.

"Oooh, it hurts mommy," he said.

He tightened his grip on Snow's wrist, tighter and tighter as he aimed to slowly crush the bones. He was toying with Snow, playing at who would endure and who would try to break away.

He had seen Snow's glance towards Nieve, and he could smell her blood on the air as surely as Snow could. His time predicament gave Lance some measure of sadistic enjoyment.

"Your packmate isn't going to last much -"

He was interrupted as Snow brought his fist up to slam into his face, driving his skull back against the corner of the wall. The werewolf's eyes glinted with amber and yellow as his anger rose, but he contained it. As Lance brought his own knife to bear on him, he brought his arm up to block the swing. He could tell from the pain in his wrist that the bone had fractured, but he ignored it. It would heal quickly enough.

With a snarl, he used his grip on the vampire's throat to lift him from his feet, before turning to slam him down into the ground.

Lance hit the ground hard, both hands on Snow's wrist now. The impact had dazed him, but he only let out a rough chuckle.

"Time's up."

He even released Snow's wrist in a show of intending to let him go try to assist Nieve.

Snow's eyes darted to the side in time to see Damien drive his hand into Nieve's stomach. "No!" he yelled, voice cutting through the clamour of battle as he released his grip on Lance and ran for the lobby.

Lance was waiting for it though, and he scissored his legs to trip Snow up before trying to roll on top of him were he could get an arm around his neck.

Snow snarled as he fell, throwing his weight to the side to land facing his attacker. He caught Lance's arm with one hand to protect his neck, before his other hand shot up to regain its vice-like grip on the vampire's neck. Using the momentum of Lance's roll, he heaved him to one side to place himself on top, slamming Lance's head into the ground.

For the briefest instant his eyes met the vampire's, and behind them the fury of the wolf in him burned. He didn't hesitate, tearing his hand to the side to rip Lance's throat out from where he lay in a spray of blood.

Lance had only a moments thought of oh shit as he realized the game had changed before Snow had torn his throat open. The blood that spilled forth was almost black as it coated Snow's hands, but the vampire was alive yet. He grabbed Snow's wrists, trying to push the werewolf off him, and what Snow saw in his eyes was fear.

Mercy and restraint were concepts that had abandoned Snow by this point, and he did not relent. With sheer brute force he drove his hand down despite Lance's grip, shoving it into the gored mess of his neck and closing it around his spine. Without flinching, he wrenched it back, tearing the vampire's head clean from his body.The black blood splattered across his face.

"Batu won't be too happy about that," Damien chuckled from where he stood a few feet in front of Snow, holding Nieve's knife in hand.

Snow pushed himself back to his feet before turning his eyes on Damien. His eyes flicked from the knife in his hand to Nieve's prone form behind him, and his face contorted in a snarl. He had no words for the vampire before launching himself forwards, driving his hand towards Damien's face.

As Snow closed on Damien though, the vampire turned to mist and swiftly reformed behind Snow with one arm snaring him around the neck while he drove the knife towards Snow's chest with his other hand.

The werewolf caught Damien's wrist before the knife reached him, bringing his other hand up to grip the arm around his neck before ducking forwards in an attempt to hurl the vampire over his head. In doing so, he used the twisting of Damien's arm to try and force him to drop the weapon.

Damien rolled over, coming back to his feet with the knife still in hand but his wrist was still in Snow's grip. Snow would have a hard time maintaining the hold though with the hand and forearm slick with Nieve's blood. Damien dropped the knife before he fluidly twisted his wrist to slip his hand free by reversing the hold. With an iron grip on Snow's own wrist now, Damien drove his other fist forward towards Snow's face. With Nieve's blood still hot in his veins, he had both speed and strength working for him.

Snow took the hit, rolling with it to minimise the damage, but it failed to slow him. His own free hand he curled into a fist to strike out at Damien's neck, aiming to crush his windpipe with the force of it.

Damien caught the punch mid swing and Snow would find his own immense strength matched equally by that of the vampire who might as well have been on steroids for all the good Nieve's blood had done for him.

He brought his foot up to kick Snow in the mid-section, releasing his hold simultaneously in an attempt to send Snow back into the broken door and onto the broken glass at his back.

The kick forced Snow backwards through the door, threatening to topple him, but he managed to retain his balance. Fighting through the winding, he held his ground, breathing heavily. He needed an opening. Just charging in again wouldn't get him any further, much as the wolf demanded it. No, not just the wolf. Both sides of him warred against his conscious mind in a desire to simply throw himself at the vampire until one of them was dead on the floor. He didn't relent to the urge, though. He was no good to anyone dead.

Some part of his mind was peripherally aware of Ragenard's arrival, and Baron being injured, but he had no time to think on them. If he wanted to live through this, he couldn't afford to be distracted.