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The Guild of Gamers: The Occultist by The Dark Wolf Shiro
Game X-overs & Worm Xover Rated: M, English, Supernatural & Fantasy, Words: 51k+, Favs: 2k+, Follows: 2k+, Published: Jun 30, 2023 Updated: Dec 8, 2024
536Chapter 7: Dark Childe
Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and works; all other characters and worlds belong to their respective owners. I'm just playing with them.
Betad by Mike God of Lore, Marethyu Malcolm Tent, Beans, Old man of the mountain
The Guild of Gamers: The Occult
Chapter 07: Dark Childe
– Lisa Wilbourn (Tattletale) –
Waking up, the cold air on her body alerted her to the fact that something was deeply wrong. Sitting up, she looked down at her body, her heart pounding at the sight of her purple bra and panties, her bodysuit nowhere to be seen. Likewise, her mask was gone, making her rise to her feet with a fierce scowl on her lips.
Ebon was playing a dangerous game, but as she looked around, she cursed.
Lisa is in a cell. The cell is underground. The cell is old, built decades ago. The bars are too strong for Lisa to affect.
She was in an honest-to-god dungeon, deep underground inside a small stone cell, thick iron bars blocking the only exit. There were shackles on the wall, but she hadn't been bound with them. Moving to the bars, she spotted another row of cells.
Brian was across from her, a furious look on his face and equally undressed. Alec was lying on the stone bed in the cell next to his, seemingly unconcerned by their predicament. She could hear someone pacing next to her, Rachel. No dogs in sight, Rachel was worried about her pets and fearful that they'd been killed.
Aisha was shaking the cell next to Rachel's, generally being loud and shouting for attention. She couldn't see Celia, but she could hear the panicked breathing coming from the cell next to Aisha's.
"Why is Ebon doing this?" Brian asked her, clearly torn between fury and panic. None of them had powers that would help them escape, not with Rachel's dogs missing. She couldn't think her way out of a cage, Alec couldn't affect the bars, and Brian's darkness would just leave him in a dark cell.
"I don't know," Lisa admitted, frowning deeply as she looked around for anything that could help her. Brian opened his mouth, clearly about to speak, before he stopped.
The sound of movement made them both go silent, their stillness underscoring the sound of a heavy door opening and footsteps approaching.
Confident stride, not concerned about the consequences of his actions.
Her power struggled on Ebon directly (which was the obvious identity of the figure currently approaching them without a mask), but she could still pick up some small things as he looked them over. He didn't have this house before; why would he be sleeping in a disgusting, decrepit factory if he did?
"Do you have any idea what you're doing? Unmasking people, targeting their families? Do you want to go to the Birdcage-" Brian started, but Ebon turned to him.
"Silence," Ebon demanded, and Brain froze. "You will speak when spoken to and only then."
Brian clearly disagreed, but his body disobeyed him. A master.
"Where are my dogs!?" Rachel shouted, hands gripping the bars as she glared at Ebon hatefully.
"Hm, very well. We'll start with you. Come along," Ebon said, opening the cell door. Rachel rushed him, attempting to throw a punch, too enraged to think her actions through. Ebon caught her arm with the greatest of ease, his fist slamming into her stomach as she let out a pained gasp, falling to her knees. "Your dogs live; should you remain compliant, they will continue to do so. Attack me again, and I'll feed them to you."
Ebon was being serious, his face twisted into an ugly scowl at the sheer audacity of someone daring to raise their hand to him.
"Follow me," Ebon demanded, moving away. As Rachel tried to rise, he held a hand. "Crawl."
Rachel froze, but the look in his eyes clearly spoke deeply to the normally argumentative girl as she started to crawl on all fours after Ebon, who turned and left. She started to speak but thought better as she went silent. Ebon didn't even glance her way, moving out of the room with Rachel following behind.
"What does he want? You had to get something." Brian asked, making her shake her head.
"I truly don't know," Lisa admitted. She hated relying on Coil, but he might be her only chance out of here.
Hours passed with no sign of Rachel returning. The door opened again, the smell of food making her perk up as her stomach growled. A young red-headed girl around their age pulled a trolley into the dungeon, plates of food atop it.
The woman opened a small slot on the cell door, passing a plate through.
"You, blonde. Get your food or starve," the girl ordered, shooting her a scathing look.
Ebon's servant. Sees Ebon as a God. Completely mastered by Ebon. She's stronger than she looks; Ebon has empowered her.
Fuck.
Taking the plate, she noticed that they'd given them a knife and fork. The food was good, nothing special, but better than you'd expect to be served in a dungeon.
As she went to give Brian his plate, he grabbed her arm and pulled her against the bars, a threatening look on his face. A look that was promptly wiped off as she broke free, gripping his wrist and snapping it with a cruel glare.
"You pathetic mongrel, you think you can touch me? Only Alex gets to touch me, and you're going to suffer for that," the girl scoffed. Alex? Ebon's real name. "I hope he lets me watch. Have fun starving."
The girl moved back, picking up the food that had been scattered across the dungeon floor with a glare. Alec didn't put up any fight, taking his food without complaint.
"You know, when they find out you were complicit in this, you'll be punished too," Lisa said as the girl went to leave, making her laugh.
"You have no idea the depths to which I'd sink for him," the girl said simply, utterly devoted to her master. "I hope you don't have to find out, for your sake."
As the girl left, Brian groaned in pain and clutched his arm.
"She was mastered, wasn't she?" Brain asked, making Lisa nod. They were captured by a Master, and that was bad. Eating her food, she tried to think of a way to break free of the bars, but her power failed her.
– Alexander Shaw (Ebon) –
Looking at the muscular girl in front of me, I consider my options. Rachel, or Bitch, is not a beauty. I don't mind muscular girls, but Rachel is simply not overly attractive. Short hair with an assortment of small scars littering her body add to the overall disappointment as she glares at me.
"What do you want from us?" Rachel asks, anger clear in her tone. She's seen her dogs wandering my grounds, and I've made it clear that if she tries to empower them, she'll be dead long before they can grow.
"That is what I am trying to decide. You will be useful to me, but the question is how," I admit, looking over her. Do I turn her into a ghoul? Do I take her power for my own? I don't want to drain too many people, now that I've learnt that it can have an effect on my mind. Rising, she takes a step back but my glare makes her freeze up as I close the distance, biting into her neck once more as I try and confirm something.
I can feel it giving me a trickle of Animalism as she freezes up in my embrace, but not the influx I got from first feeding on her. It's a shame. I had hoped to use them to master the Disciplines connected to them, but this will be far too slow. It would take months to get to the next level of Animalism like this, which will not do.
I pull back, looking into her eyes. There is fear but also rage, and it makes me smile. She's a feisty one, and that alone saves her life, as I find her rage intriguing.
I wonder just what I can make of her.
My mind brushes against hers, and I can't deny I'm curious about what I find. Her mind is different, more animalistic than any other that I've moulded to suit my whims. She snarls at me, not attacking after the demonstration of our power differences.
What a fierce girl, but I don't want to make her into a ghoul, and I am hesitant to take her into my soul given the animalistic nature of her mind. I will not have her pollute my mind and make me more animalistic.
I smile, and before she can react, I bite down again. My instincts guide me, Rachel struggling against me as I drain her more and more, stopping just before I end her life, her skin deathly pale as I slash my wrist and force it against her mouth.
"Drink, and you will live. Drink, and you will be powerful," I order. After a moment, I feel her start to drink of my essence. It floods her emptied veins, changing her as I smile darkly.
[The Embrace]
By draining most of a mortal's blood, you can grant them some of yours to start the Embrace, turning them into a Vampire Childe. You can choose to make them the same Clan as you or let their clan be chosen by their nature.
After a moment, I feel fangs bite into my wrist, her suckling becoming more desperate as I smile. My first Childe. The changes are too much, and with my powers helping, she passes out.
– Rachel Lindt (Bitch) –
Waking up, she felt a hunger that was stronger than any she had ever felt before. Sitting up, she looked around the dark cell, smelling something utterly delicious.
"Hello, Rachel. Have you enjoyed your rest?" Ebon asked, making her look at him. Something deep inside her demanded she submit, he was the Alpha, her Alpha. "Are you thirsty?"
"Y-yes, so thirsty," Rachel agreed, straining against the shackles she'd been bound to the wall with. They creaked with her strength, making him smile.
"That's good, don't worry, my dear… I went and got you a meal," Ebon explained, dragging a man with a shaved head into the room and tossing him into the cell. A part of her mind identified him as Empire, a misshaped swastika tattooed on his neck.
"W-what… where am I?" the man said, but Ebon just stepped forward and, with a kitchen knife, slashed at the man's neck, blood spurting forward. Rachel's eyes dilated, watching Ebon kick him further into the room. Rachel barely noticed the way the man's leg was twisted as Ebon stamped down on it, breaking it and preventing him from running.
"This man, if you can call him that, is one of Hookwolfs minions. He helps arrange the Dog FIghts. He is your meal," Ebon said, approaching her and, with a smile, unshackled her.
She pounced, the man barely able to let out a scream of fear as she sunk her fangs into his throat, his feeble attempts failing to fight her off as she pinned him with strength she didn't know she possessed.
"That's it, Rachel, feed," Ebon whispered, her senses picking up the quiet words as she just kept drinking, draining more and more until there was nothing left to drink, panting as she licked the blood off the floor, not wanting to waste a drop of the crimson nectar.
On her knees, she looked up at Ebon, who smiled down at her.
"Are you ready to step into your new life, my Childe?" Ebon asked, and her animalistic mind demanded she bow to her master. Her words failed her, but she nodded deeply, making him smile. "Then let us go; your pack have missed you."
Pack? Her dogs.
She rose, following behind him, never once considering attacking him as she sniffed the air. She could smell them nearby.
Ebon led them to her dogs, all three of them perking up at the sight of her, even as they hesitated for a moment.
'It's me, I won't hurt you.'
She hadn't even meant to, but her eyes widened as she spoke into the minds of her dogs. They perked up, rushing her as she sat and cuddled with them.
"You are the first of my Gangrel clan. Animalism is just one of the Disciplines you have access to," Ebon explained, making her eyes widen as she felt his mind touch hers. Her master passed on the knowledge of how to use her new powers, and suddenly, she was looking up at herself through the eyes of Brutus.
She was so pale, but she didn't care. Her mind melded with Brutus, a closer bond than her powers had ever let her experience.
"Thank you," Rachel spoke, looking up at the one who granted her this gift as he smiled back at her, reaching out to stroke her hair.
"You are most welcome," Ebon agreed. "I am Alexander Shaw, your Sire. In time, you will lead your own clan, and I know how to start it. You hate the one called Hookwolf; I can taste your rage at his crimes. Once you have learnt how to control your new powers, you will slay him and claim his dogs for your pack. You will drain him and take his powers for your own, and when you have done this, I will know you are ready to build your own clan."
Rachel nodded, her eyes wide and bloodlust filling her veins.
"You are not to leave the manor, but my home and the grounds are open to you. Explore your new home, and learn to control your new powers. As a Gangrel, you have access to Animalism, as you can tell, Fortitude, increasing your durability to super-human levels, and Protean, the Discipline of Change. You can feel it within you, can't you?"
She nodded, looking down at her hands as she tried to use this new power. Her nails grew into sharp claws, her power responding to her.
"You can also share your Fortitude with your pack, even when you are not using your original power. We wouldn't want anything happening to your dogs, would we?" Alexander explained kindly.
Looking between her claws and her dogs, she smiled, two sharp fangs glinting in the light.
– Alexander Shaw –
Rachel Lindt has been turned into a Gangrel, gaining access to your Disciplines of Animalism, Fortitude and Protean.
Protean unlocked for having a Gangrel Childe.
[Protean, Discipline of Change: Novice]
[Eyes of the Beast]
You can will a supernatural red gleam into your eyes, giving yourself sight even in the total absence of light.
[Dolphin's Insight]
You can gain sonar-like senses, able to orient yourself even while blinded or underwater.
[Weight of the Feather]
You can reduce your effective mass and density, making yourself almost weightless. This allows you to avoid triggering pressure sensors as well as avoiding major damage from falls, collisions, or being thrown. The power cannot be used for longer leaps, as your strength is proportionally reduced.
[Feral Weapons]
You can extend your natural weapons to monstrous proportions. This usually takes the form of fingernails extending into wicked talons but can also come in other forms, such as fangs elongating into veritable daggers, as from a gigantic serpent.
[Phocidaean Webbing]
You can create webbing between your fingers and toes, which allows for faster swimming.
Turning Rachel has proven beneficial, my very first vampire childe. I decided to allow her to become her own kind because I felt that she was ill-suited to become a Toreador like me. She may not be a natural beauty, or a lover of the arts, but I can sense her potential and see the use of having someone to dirty their hands for me.
Through our bond, she has gained access to my skills of Animalism, Fortitude, and Protean, which means that as these Disciplines grow stronger, so too shall she. She has my enhanced endurance, shared with her beasts, and through the Hivemind I got from the bug controller, her loyalty is ensured.
Not that it would be a problem with her. She has a simple mind and one that I very much appreciate as it quickly came to see me as her Alpha, the one she must obey. That fierce personality has been shifted into fierce loyalty to her pack and utter obedience to the one who granted her these boons. She will thrive; her obedience and lack of ego mean she sees nothing wrong with obeying the strong.
Which is, of course, me.
As long as I remain the head of our 'pack' and do not fail or harm the pack, she will never waver in her loyalty to me. It's that simplicity that makes her my ideal first childe because she isn't a schemer. Even if I happened to somehow lose her faith, she'd challenge me outright without any backstabbing or betrayals.
Hookwolf is powerful but he is a brute of a man. I don't want to take his power into myself, so Rachel can do it for me. It will also guarantee her loyalty, ending the fights she despises so much. She'd kill for me as she is now, but soon enough, she'd die for me without batting an eye.
This has been interesting, but I plan to limit those I turn for now. I considered turning Emma, but having her be unable to go out in the sun would attract too much attention. She's still more useful to me as a ghoul instead of as a childe, but if she continues to prove herself to be such an obedient and useful tool, she will be my first Toreador childe.
Speaking of Emma… one of my prisoners was rather mean to her, trying to threaten her in some desperate attempt to escape. Time to punish Grue for that disobedience.
I have something I want to test, anyway.
– Brian Laborn (Grue) –
It had been a day since Ebon came for Rachel, with no sign of their teammate ever since. He wasn't close with Rachel, but it still sent shivers through his body at the idea of what she may be going through.
The girl had returned to bring supper and then breakfast (their only way of telling the time), and true to her words, he had been left to starve for his actions. His stomach rumbled painfully, and the girl watched to make sure that nobody threw him any food.
The door opened, Ebon returning with the redhead behind him.
"You. You attempted to threaten my servant," Ebon said, stopping by his cell with a disdainful look.
"You kidnapped my family and lured us into a trap, then unmasked us. Don't try and take the high ground with me," Brian scoffed, glaring angrily at his captor who simply smiled. "Have you killed Bitch?"
Ebon moved forward, unlocking the cell as Brian saw his opportunity. He knew he was no match for Ebon, but he didn't need to be as he unleashed a wave of darkness into the dungeon.
Moving quickly, he tried to dash forward and get past Ebon, but something made him freeze. Ebon was staring right at him, tracking him perfectly as Ebon raised a sculpted eyebrow in amusement.
"Come now, really?" Ebon asked, dashing forward and grabbing him by the throat as he lifted Brian into the air. "You didn't truly think that would work, did you? Dispel it, or I will."
Brian struggled, but the grip around his throat was painfully tight as Ebon smirked at him. His darkness faded, making Ebon smirk as he gestured and the shadows started to move, inky black tentacles rising from them as darkness pooled around Ebon's feet.
"I can do that too, just better," Ebon laughed, watching him struggle in the air, held in Ebon's iron grip. The shadows lashed out, striking him with incredible force as he let out a gasp of pain; he was sure he felt a rib break under the force of the blows. "You should be honoured, Grue, for you have been deemed worthy to become a part of me."
W-what was this mad man talking about?!
Ebon smiled, fangs proudly exposed as he opened his maw, and Brian's struggles intensified as the mouth approached him, biting down on his neck. He flailed, kicking and punching but to no avail, feeling like he was punching a statue as his blood was slowly drained, his struggles becoming weaker. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Aisha looking at him through the cells with a mixture of shock and hatred, fearing what would become of her as his limbs fell limp and his struggles faded. This wasn't how it was supposed to end…
– Alexander Shaw (Ebon) –
[Obtenebration, Discipline of Shadows: Adept]
[Black Metamorphosis]
Encase your body in a nightmarish armour of living shadows, which can grow inky tentacles from it to attack your foes.
[Shadow Perspective]
Allows you to send your senses into any shadow within your range, able to move from shadow to shadow.
[Shadowstep]
Sink into a shadow and reappear from another, seeing the world as blindingly bright, only able to see things cloaked in shadow while travelling.
[Grue: Shadow Man]
You can make all the shadows you generate so thick that pushing through them feels like moving through viscous syrup. These shadows greatly muffle sounds and block things like microwaves, radio frequencies, signals, and radiation.
I suspect if I had drained Rachel, it would have been enough to empower my Animalism, and you get a lot for the first drink and a lot for draining them completely, but not much for just drinking them without killing them after the first bite. Interesting to know…
"You bastard!" Aisha screams, seeing me drop Brian's corpse to the ground. Emma spits on it, looking smug at the punishment the man who saw her as a tool for his escape was given. "I'm going to fucking kill you; I'll rip you limb from limb!"
I go to speak, but out of the corner of my eyes, I see Lisa's eyes widen as she zones out, Alec doing the same, and Brian's memories tell me what is happening.
A trigger event. Aisha is getting powers.
I rush forward, tearing her cell open as I make my move. I don't know what she is going to get, but I do know that I can't take chances with a fresh trigger. Grabbing her by the throat, I hesitate as Brian's memories flood my mind, stopping me from snapping her neck. I let out an annoyed growl as I change my plans; this is why I don't like taking people's memories into mine.
Fine, I can deal with this.
– Aisha Laborn –
"Come on, bro, I'm strong; you know I am," Aisha whined, making her adopted brother sigh fondly as he reached up and ruffled her hair, making her swat at his hand in annoyance. "Why can't I join you on your patrols?"
"You're strong, Aisha, but you're reckless. I don't want to see you get hurt because you did something careless," Alexander said, giving her a soft smile. "I know you're excited now that you have your own powers, but Brockton Bay is dangerous."
"It's not like they'd ever be able to catch me," Aisha scoffed, making him chuckle. "They'd have to find me first."
"Very true, but capes are weird. All it takes is for one to be able to detect you, and you could die. I will not allow that," Alex said, his protectiveness sending a shudder of pleasure through her body. "It's not like staying in this nice, big mansion is a punishment, is it?"
She laughed at the truth in that; this place was so much nicer than moms apartment. It was funny that mom had ended up working for her adopted son, but Alex returning to the Bay had made her life so much better.
"Please, just one patrol," Aisha begged, pressing herself against his side as he chuckled.
"I'll think about it as long as you keep practising with your new powers. Don't leave the manor grounds, I'll know," Alex warned, his eyes flashing a deep red as she grinned. "We need to get you a costume first. A proper one, I won't have my sister running around in some balaclava."
"Seriously? You're the best, Alex," Aisha squealed, hugging him tightly. "Love ya."
"Of course you do, and I tolerate you, Aisha," Alex teased, making her scoff and kick his leg. "Oh, before you run off. Do you mind?"
"Nope," Aisha agreed, lifting her neck as Alex leaned in, his lips touching her neck in a soft kiss before he bit down and pierced her skin. She shuddered, rubbing her thighs together as her hot (adopted) brother drank her blood. It always felt so intimate, but she didn't mind him using her as a blood bag. He was so fucking strong, so it made sense that his power had come with some downsides.
As he pulled back, she let out a quiet moan and gave him a look.
"Thank you, Aisha," Alex said, stroking her hair with a smile. "Work on your powers; you need to prove to me that you can be responsible before I consider taking you on patrol."
"Hm, will do. Lemme know if you wanna suck me some more," Aisha teased, giving him a quick hug before she slipped away, watching as her own shadow rose up and took form, a pitch-black version of her following behind as she grinned.
Soon, he'd give in and let her come with him; they were gonna kick Nazi ass together.
Heading through the posh mansion that was her home now, she reached her massive bedroom and flopped onto the bed, her hand sliding down her stomach. Being fed on always left her feeling a certain kind of way, and she needed some her time.
– Alexander Shaw (Ebon) –
Rewriting years of memories is not easy, but with Aisha captured, I had plenty of time to rewrite her past. In her new life, Brian never existed. Instead, Celia adopted an older boy before she was born, and I ran away in my late teens. When I returned, I did so as a rich and powerful Cape, who Aisha idolises in every way.
I freed her from Celia, forcing 'our' mother to move into my mansion as my maid. I do feel some protectiveness towards Aisha, the aftereffects of Brian's strong emotions when it comes to his sister, and this gives me another cape as well.
Aisha's power is certainly an interesting one. She can sink into shadows, moving between them and if she stops inside a person's shadow she can take control of their bodies through it or disable their powers while she hides in their shadow.
She remembers teasing me for being a vampire cape; she remembers offering me her blood and several feedings since I returned last month. Those are fake, that was the first time I fed on her. I expected more Obtenebration, but she surprised me again.
She gave me two new powers for my Obfuscate, her stranger rating helping me out with the Discipline of Concealment.
[Invisible Weapon]
Allows you to hide a weapon so that it cannot be seen, even when you are attacking with it.
[Ventriloquism]
You can throw your voice so only the intended recipient hears you.
Both are useful enough, even if I don't really use weapons… but the real interesting part?
Oblivion Unlocked
[Oblivion, Discipline of the Abyss: Novice]
[Ashes to Ashes]
You can disintegrate any non-Kindred corpses with your vitae, including animated cadavers like those brought to false life with Oblivion.
[Shadow Cloak]
You can shape ambient shadows to conceal your presence and make yourself more frightening.
[Oblivion's Sight]
Your irises become black against the white of their sclera while using this power. While active, you can see through all darkness, including supernatural sources, and can see invisible and spiritual beings.
Oblivion's sight is more powerful than [Eyes of the Night] and allows me to actually see those who I pick up with [Sense the Unseen]. Shadow Cloak is fairly mediocre when I have actual invisibility now, but the description of Ashes to Ashes makes me pause.
Being able to reduce bodies to ash is going to be helpful, but the implication that Oblivion can be used to reanimate the dead is even more so. The Oblivion is essentially another plane of existence, one of pure entropy itself, that seeks to consume all. It is the very embodiment of entropy, a deadly force that even I am hesitant to delve too deeply into from what I can sense. If given the chance, it would consume the entirety of Earth Bet and it would do so with such ease. I just fear that I would be included in that grand feast.
It doesn't push me to use it; silent and patient. In time, it will consume all, and it knows it. So, how dangerous is Aisha truly that she gave me access to this horrifying new power? What potential does she have?
Celia remembers the son she only adopted to get some payments; now, her employer who remembers her neglect and disdain. Aisha remembers her older brother, better than the original version in every way. Neither will leave this manor. They're presumed dead, grabbed by the Merchants, and I might be playing a dangerous game by keeping them, but I do have a plan for this.
I just need time, which is why I'm keeping them on the manor grounds. My home is large, even if I have guests over, I could keep them all separate. My dungeon is hidden behind a secret passageway in my cellar; entire wings could be sealed off to keep the Barnes and Laborns from being discovered.
I deserve to have a horde of servants ready to tend to my every whim. Celia is eager to please, fearful of my wrath. I plan to make Aisha a Ghoul soon, letting me keep a closer eye on her. I'll make it seem like something I'm reluctantly doing in preparation for her becoming a cape, something she is extremely excited about.
Two down, two Undersiders remain.
– Jean-Paul Vasil/Alec (Regent) –
"Oh, is it my turn?" Alec asked, giving the vampire an amused look as he opened the cell.
"You seem rather relaxed about this," Ebon said, making Alec shrug.
"Can't affect you, trust me, I tried, and I'm kinda weak without my power. You've taken almost everyone else, not like I can stop this, so why bother trying?" Alec asked with a bored shrug. "Hey, before you kill me, can I ask you something?"
"Follow me, and I'll consider it," Ebon said, making Alec sigh. He was going to have to walk before he was eaten? Man, that's just cruel and unusual; why should he have to die tired?
Trudging behind, Alec looked around the gothic mansion with a smirk. It was very on brand. Did Ebon sleep in a coffin?
"Now, what do you wish to request?" Ebon asked, taking a seat. Alec slumped into the comfy couch across from him, putting his feet up. It was a lot more comfortable than that stone bed.
"Can you kill my old man for me? I figure you're immune to master shit, so can you head on up to Canada and eat Heartbreaker?" Alec requested, making him blink in surprise. Either Ebon would kill his old man, in which case it was worth it to get eaten by a vampire, or his dad would unknowingly avenge him. Win-Win, right?
"Oh, you aren't going to try and beg for your life?" Ebon asked, making him shrug.
"Eh," Alec helpfully replied. "Kinda sucks that I won't get to finish my games, but what can you do?"
"Join me? Rachel did, and now she is one of my childes," Ebon said, giving him a searching look. "Then, we shall kill your father and claim his powers for our own. I can claim the power of anyone I drain, which is what I did to your teammate, Grue, or I can turn you to join the children of the night. The choice is yours."
"Meh, who likes sunlight anyway? I'll just close the curtains," Alec said with a shrug. If it meant he got to rip his old man's throat out, he was totally down for getting some fangs.
"You are a broken doll, aren't you?" Ebon asked, making Alec smile at the entirely too accurate description. "How interesting."
Ebon approached, fangs hungry for blood, and Alec just raised his chin and put up no fight as Ebon bit down on his neck, groaning at the unexpectedly pleasurable experience of having his life force drained.
As Ebon's wrist was offered to him, he didn't need any prompting as he suckled the offered sliced wrist, staring up into the intense crimson gaze of Ebon.
"Welcome to Clan Toreador, my childe," Ebon said, giving him a smile as he felt his consciousness start to fade. "Sleep well; I'll have your first meal waiting for you when you awaken."
That sounded like a good idea, his body aching as it started to change. Yeah, he could use a nap. Childe, huh? Well, Ebon couldn't be a worse dad than the old bastard.
– Alexander Shaw (Ebon) –
Alec is a broken shell, but he is a shell that will lead me to Heartbreaker. Why settle for the lesser meal when the biggest source of Dominate I will ever find can be baited so easily with my newest childe?
Jean-Paul Vasil has been turned into a Toreador, gaining access to your Disciplines of Auspex, Celerity and Presence. Jean-Paul's own power has granted him access to your Discipline of Dominate.
I once again let his nature guide him, and I think I now understand the connection I felt with him. We are more similar than I'd like to admit, right down to the father issues.
I message Sherrel, telling her to grab me a young, attractive meal for Alec. Her cloaked vehicles are rather useful for these things. Alec will not come to regret his decision; on that I will make certain.
And then there was one. Ah, Lisa… does she still feel so superior to me? Does she realise that her mockery is what pushed me to embrace my new powers and carve my rightful place in the world? I saved the best for last.
Nobody is superior to me, nobody gets to manipulate me.
— Bonus Scene — Lisa Wilbourn (Tattletale)
Watching the others be taken, one after another, she was left alone in the dungeons.
Why had Ebon targeted them? Was he aiming for Coil? No, he shouldn't even be able to know anything about Coil; she barely did, and she was a powerful Thinker who was working for him. It couldn't be because she slightly insulted him when they visited his old hiding place. Surely he wasn't that prideful?
No, this was because of his Trump power. She'd seen the shadows move to obey him; Ebon could develop new powers by feeding on other capes. Had he killed Rachel and Alec as well? Draining them and stealing their powers.
Shivering in her cell, she waited for him to come for her, working on her argument for why she should be allowed to live. She never thought she'd be hoping that Coil would come and save her. This just wasn't fair.
Author's Note: I was in a vampire mood, and Alex is fun to write. Alec is also fun to write. That level of apathy, and no fucks given is very entertaining.
Written: 06/06/2024
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The Guild of Gamers: The Occultist by The Dark Wolf Shiro
Game X-overs & Worm Xover Rated: M, English, Supernatural & Fantasy, Words: 51k+, Favs: 2k+, Follows: 2k+, Published: Jun 30, 2023 Updated: Dec 8, 2024
536Chapter 8: Fame
Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and works; all other characters and worlds belong to their respective owners. I'm just playing with them.
Betad by Marethyu, Priapus, Mike God of Lore, Beans, Malcolm Tent
The Guild of Gamers: The Occult
Chapter 08: Fame
– Jean-Paul Vasil/Alec (Regent) –
As he drank from the beautiful girl, he didn't bother asking who she was or where Alex had gotten her, too busy imbibing her crimson nectar to care. She didn't react beyond a light moan, enthralled by his new powers as she willingly bared her neck.
Despite his hunger, he pulled back and looked at the flushed girl, a college-aged blonde girl with impressive curves and a beautiful face. A part of him wanted to drain her to the last drop, but it would be a shame to destroy something so beautiful.
His long-since muted emotions felt more intense than ever, and he reached out with the new powers (Presence and Dominate, his mind provided him) as his 'sire' guided him through his new powers and emotions, changing her pliable mind to putty in his hands.
"C-can I keep her?" Alec asked, turning to where Alex was watching him with a raised eyebrow. His mind went back to his past; his father would never have let him keep anything, but Alex just nodded with a calm smile.
"Taming her will be good practice for your new powers, Alec. If nothing else, you can keep her locked up as a blood-bag," Alex agreed, making Alec smile darkly as he licked his lips. His hand moved up her side, tracing her curves, but the girl was too enthralled by Alex's might to react.
Alex was helping him this time, but in future, it would be up to him to keep her under control.
"As I told Rachel, you are free to wander the manor and its grounds, but do not leave without my permission. Get your new pet under control, and don't try anything with my pets, but beyond that? Practise your powers and relax; get used to your new life, Alec," Alex advised, making Alec nod with a small grin.
He was technically dead, right? It was funny, but he'd never felt so alive. His mind went back to his father and family, his fangs glinting as his smile took on a dangerous edge.
"Can I be mastered?" Alec asked, making Alex stroke his chin.
"I don't believe so. One of my powers allows me to control all my childer and ghouls as a hive-mind. Even if you were mastered, I believe I'd be able to break any control over you through our bond. I am your master, Alec, and I don't share," Alex explained with a knowing smile. "I can feel your rage, Alec, but calm yourself. Learn how to control your new powers; your time will come. Nikos Vasil will die, and when we claim his life, you will drain him to the last drop and take his powers for yourself."
Alex's promise made him smile darkly, and he'd be counting down the days before he could rip his bastard of a father's throat out. He'd spent so long running from his past, but with his new powers and new sire, it would be Heartbreaker who was sent running.
And he wouldn't get far.
– Lisa Wilbourne (Tattletale) –
She'd known this was coming, having watched Ebon take every last prisoner except her.
Being led through the manor by the red-headed thrall, Emma. She hesitated as Emma opened the door to a room, gesturing for her to enter. Emma's scowl made her speed up, well aware that whatever Ebon had done had made his pets very strong.
Entering the room, she looked at Ebon with a hesitant stare as he gestured for her to sit, almost dismissively. What had he done with the others? He'd killed Brian, but what about Rachel, Alec, Aisha, and Brian's mom?
"You realise that you are playing with fire, Ebon? Our employer won't take this lying down, and neither will the PRT or other villains when word gets out," Lisa started, making him smile grimly.
Her power, usually so loud, gave her nothing as he stared at her with burning crimson eyes.
"Ah, yes, your employer. You once tried to recruit me, knowing that joining wasn't in my best interests. You were rather insulting," Ebon drawled, making her blink.
Okay, sure, she'd known that Ebon joining them would allow Coil to put a leash on him, but-
Wait, there was no way.
"You targeted us… because I insulted you?" Lisa asked, shock and disbelief clear in her tone as Ebon smiled. "Are you utterly-"
As she went to speak, her words caught in her throat as she felt something wrong with her. Her heart wasn't beating, making her clutch her chest as Ebon watched her with a small smile on his lips.
"Do you still feel so superior to me, Tattletale, knowing that your life is in my hands? Perhaps you're right, and my actions will have painful consequences, but it will not be in time to save you. Is your boss about to kick down the door and rescue you from my clutches? I think not," Ebon said darkly as Lisa felt her heart start again, gasping as the pain in her chest began to fade.
He'd done all of this, killing Brian and possibly the others as well, just because she'd made fun of where he was hiding? How egotistical could one man be? Of course, Coil wasn't going to rush to save her; he'd probably already written her off as a loss, and he didn't act recklessly.
It was more likely that he'd blackmail Ebon with the knowledge down the line, but Ebon was right. It didn't save her.
"What did you do with Bitch and Regent?" Lisa asked, making Ebon smile easily as he clicked his fingers.
The door opened, and her two missing teammates walked in. Regent strutted in with a cocky look in his eyes and a fanged grin on his lips. Bitch just stared her down challengingly, moving behind Ebon.
Rachel sees Ebon as her Alpha; she has been empowered and has switched sides. Her heart isn't beating. Alec is smug at his new powers, seeing Ebon as his master. He's excited about… something? They aren't mastered.
"Your power… you can spread it," Lisa realised with a start, making Ebon nod easily.
"I have made Alec and Rachel my childer. I have options. I can turn people into ghouls, empowering them somewhat, but at the cost of an addiction to my blood. I can turn people into vampire childer, gaining several of my disciplines based upon the clan they become, or I can just drain them entirely and take their powers for myself. Emma is a ghoul, Alec and Regent became my childer, and Brian became a part of me," Ebon explained easily, giving her a dark look. "The question is simple: which should I do with you, Lisa? Are you worth more to me alive, or should I take your powers for myself?"
If Ebon was right, and given the speed at which he was growing she believed he was, he was a special kind of cape, one that the Unwritten rules would rapidly no longer apply to. The category that Lung fell into: someone who was too strong to punish for his crimes.
Lounging in his chair, Alec gave her a lazy smirk.
"You should try this whole vampire thing; it's amazing," Alec drawled.
Alec is wondering what your blood tastes like; he's hoping you fuck up so he can taste you before Ebon drains you. He's wondering if he could convince Ebon to let him keep you as a blood bag.
Rachel said nothing, arms crossed, as she stared Lisa down.
Rachel expects you to fuck this up and anger Ebon with your inability to shut up. She's getting ready to beat you down if you try to run. She plans to break your arms and legs to stop you from troubling her master. Her dogs are near, ready to chase you.
Thanks for the faith, dickheads. She wasn't surprised; the Undersiders hadn't been together long enough for any true camaraderie to form. They were a bunch of minor villains who were together because Coil had pushed them together. Grue might have helped her if he had been turned, but he was dead and gone.
"Your boss, who is he?" Ebon asked, making her hesitate before she sighed.
"Coil, and he's far more powerful than he pretends to be. He likes being underestimated, but you've put yourself in his sights," Lisa warned, making Ebon smile darkly.
"And who is Coil?" Ebon asked.
"If I knew that, I wouldn't be in this mess. I don't even fully understand how his power works; I definitely don't know his civilian identity," Lisa retorted. If Coil were so easily worked out, she'd have killed him and gotten out from under him already.
Ebon remained silent for a moment before smiling.
"Rise," Ebon demanded, watching as her body disobeyed her and followed his demand. "Approach."
She hated how powerless she felt, her body obeying his commands as she stood before him, watching him rise to his feet with a dark smile.
"Bare your neck," Ebon demanded, and her head tilted up to expose her neck to him, watching with fear as he leaned in, licking her neck briefly before his sharp fangs pierced her skin, making her gasp even as her body reacted in a very different way, a sense of serenity and pleasure overcoming her.
He didn't drain her entirely, pulling back and licking his lips as he moved back and sat back down. It was Alec who gave away what just happened, gasping with wide eyes.
Alec is getting more powers, through Ebon.
Feeding on Capes empowered him, even if he didn't drain them. He'd gotten stronger, and by extension, so had Alec. Something to do with his 'clan'? Rachel didn't get stronger. Did she not have the 'discipline' that Ebon had just improved with her blood?
– Alexander Shaw (Ebon) –
[Auspex, Discipline of Sensing: Adept]
[The Spirit's Touch]
By examining an object, you can learn of its past and its previous owners from the resonance left behind.
[Spirit Ties]
By examining the residues of a target, such as their hair or blood, you can learn a great deal of information about them.
[Telepathy]
Allows you to probe someone's mind, reading their surface thoughts or projecting a telepathic message to them.
Looking over Lisa, I consider my options. Her power is tempting, and I could probably empower myself further and gain Expert in Auspex if I drained her, but until I have a better understanding of the consequences of draining someone and taking their soul into me, I am hesitant to do so.
I could have Alec drain her, but he is naturally gifted in Dominate and Presence, not Auspex. Rachel is out; maybe she could gain Auspex by draining Lisa, but it's just not her. Rachel isn't a thinker, and I don't want to change her perfect simplicity by adding Lisa's soul into her body.
I can't let her go, so the question is, will she be a ghoul or a vampire childe? Making her a vampire almost feels like a reward, which she doesn't deserve, but I can sense her rage towards this Coil figure.
If I empower her, I could put her on the task of hunting for Coil so we can kill him and drain him. It would also make her eternally mine; she'd be under me until one of us dies, and I don't intend for it to be me.
Biting down again, I make my decision as she gasps. Alec chuckles, watching me drain the rapidly paling Lisa before I let go and watch her collapse. Slicing my wrist, I offer it to her.
"Drink, or you will die," I warn, seeing the rage in her eyes before she moves, the resentment. She hates this, but she hates the idea of dying more. I'll have to keep a close eye on Lisa; Alec and Rachel are perfect recruits, easy to please and keep loyal. Lisa will be less so, and I may have to kill her later, but I will give her a chance to prove she is worth the blood she is gulping down.
I could guide her to Toreador, but I just let her nature guide her.
Lisa Wilbourne has been turned into a Mekhet, gaining access to your Disciplines of Auspex, Celerity and Obfuscate.
Having vampires of several clans under you that possess Auspex and Celerity has boosted both Disciplines.
[Celerity, Discipline of Dexterity: Adept]
[Blink]
You are able to move great distances with sudden, short bursts of speed that allow you to move so quickly that it seems like you are teleporting.
[Traversal]
You now move even faster and are able to run on water easily.
Lisa collapses, making me smile in pleasure. I need to be as strong as possible before I undergo the PRT's tests. I want them to beg for me to join them on their hands and knees, and for that, I need to utterly wow them without showing them my Master powers.
This is a good start, but only a start nonetheless. Checking the time, I smile to myself.
"Alec, Rachel. Tonight, I am going on another hunt. You two will remain here; you still haven't gotten used to your powers," I order, making Rachel nod easily, and Alec raises a lazy eyebrow. I can feel his eagerness to try out his new speed. His past has left his emotions muted, but we Toreadors are emotional beings by nature. I may need to keep an eye on his mental state. "I'm going to get a blood bag for Lisa when she wakes up, but you two are to keep a close eye on her. She isn't as intelligent as you two and may decide to cause trouble. I don't want to have to hunt her down myself; I will need to focus and not split my attention between my prey and Lisa."
"That's Tats for you," Alec agrees with a shrug. "She's what is commonly referred to as a 'pain in the ass'."
"And I'm counting on you two to prove you can handle a single little girl throwing a tantrum," I say, making Alec smirk as he nods.
"She isn't going anywhere," Rachel promises, arms crossed and a scowl on her face. I can already tell she would see Lisa fleeing as a betrayal of her new pack.
"Good, because I plan to set her on gathering intel on Hookwolf and his Dog Fights once she comes to," I say, and I can tell that Rachel sees the bait for what it is, but still, I can see her grow more determined to keep Lisa here. Rachel isn't stupid, but she doesn't care that I'm blatantly baiting her. I just gave her another reason to keep Lisa here.
Smiling at them, I move Lisa to the cell and shackle her up. She will be hungry when she awakens, and I don't need her going for one of my pets.
"S-Sir," Emma starts as I leave, making me smile.
"You want to become a vampire, don't you?" I say, cutting her off as she freezes, making me gently stroke her cheek with a warm smile.
"I know I don't deserve such power-"
"You will be one of my childer, in time. When I change you, you won't be able to return to your normal life. The sun will become your enemy, and I still have plans for you that require you to be able to move freely," I say, making her eyes widen as I place a kiss on her forehead. "You were my first servant. I'm sorry you couldn't be my first childe, but as I said, I still have need of you."
Emma beams up at me.
"Whatever you need, I won't let you down, master," Emma swears, and I believe her. She sold her mother's freedom to me, arranged for me to be able to kill her father, and she's been working on luring her older sister back to the Bay so I can complete the Barnes set. I place a kiss on her lips and she beams at me as I bite my lip and let some of my blood leak into our kiss, making her shudder.
Taylor's tortured soul still demands vengeance. Seeing Emma reduced to such an obedient little pet has soothed her rage, but Sophia and Madison have gone unpunished. Winslow has gone unpunished despite their constant ignoring of Taylor's complaints, which I now know is because of Sophia's position as a Ward.
Taylor's soul is a strong one; her rage at the injustice she faced still lives inside my soul. In comparison, Leet and Uber were forgettable little men, attention seekers who were happy to be the clowns of the cape world as long as people were watching them. Grue saw himself as a professional, but he was a fool being led around by Coil. From his memories, I can tell Coil never would have given Grue what he wanted, and the PRT could have helped him get Aisha out of her unsafe environment so much easier.
The funny thing? Lisa knows this as well. Lisa was the little devil on his shoulder, guiding him to villainy and away from his goal for the sake of her own aims. Lisa did to Brian what she was planning on doing to me.
Brian's soul is potent, but most of the traces come in the form of his protective love for Aisha, and in that, I can promise that Aisha will be safe and happy. I had some of my ghouls buy her some new clothes and an expensive gaming set-up; she's having a great time, even as she tries to convince me to let her join my cape life. Aisha adores me, more than she ever did Brian.
I'm hoping that satisfying Taylor's need for revenge will help satisfy her soul and lessen its effect on me. That's why I'm limiting what souls I take into my body, using my childer to take the powers I want.
Still, there is one soul and power I want for myself. It's not who I am hunting today, but it's going to be a step in the right direction.
– Lisa Wilbourn (Tattletale) – Later –
As the blood from her first 'meal' still coursed through her veins, she stared at herself in the mirror. Her already fair skin had become even more pale, and her two fangs were noticeable, but after a moment of focus, she watched them both fade as she used her new powers.
Mortal's Mask hid the signs of her change, and as much as she was angry at what Alexander had done to her, she couldn't deny the power she now possessed at her fingertips.
Auspex, which was only enhanced by her own Thinker power. Celerity, which allowed her to move at speeds that would make Velocity jealous. Obfuscate, allowing her to go invisible and silence any sound she made.
She had feared that her own Thinker power would suffer from whatever had made Ebon so resistant to it, but instead, she'd found her power was stronger. It responded faster, and she didn't get thinker headaches nearly as quickly anymore.
Auspex was insanely powerful; she had genuine telepathy now. Her power, combined with the ability to read minds, was immensely effective, and that wasn't even mentioning the other powers she had gained. Any one of these powers would have made a decently powerful Thinker in the right hands, but all of them in her hands?
As much as she was bitter at once again being captured and enslaved by another villain (even one pretending to be a hero), she couldn't deny that she could almost understand why Alex was so damn arrogant with all this power at her fingertips. She was weaker than him, and she felt invincible.
She was a Mekhet, and while the word had meant nothing to her before, she now understood it, and the word resonated with her. The Mekhet were a clan of wisdom, finesse and stealth. They ruled from the shadows, weaponising the information they gathered to pull the strings of the world from behind the scenes, leading shadowy cults and conspiracies.
She wasn't as flashy as Alex and Alec, the pair of Toreadors, or as wild as Rachel, the Gangrel. But her new clan felt… right, like this was what she was always meant to be.
It was just unfortunate that this new power came with so many downsides; her new weaknesses were a problem but not the end of the world. She wasn't that attached to sunlight, and blood was far sweeter than she expected, but the biggest problem?
Ebon was her sire, and she could not defy him. Unlike Coil, who needed threats to keep her in line, Ebon was bonded to her and could simply puppet her body as he pleased. His orders were absolute in her mind, and freeing herself from his control would be far more complicated.
That said, much like Alec was hungering to slay his father, she saw an opportunity to use her new powers to slay Coil and claim his power for herself. That was the biggest appeal of her new powers. Ebon could take the powers of capes he drained, and now so could she.
Coil had become more paranoid after Ebon arrived because Ebon interfered with his power. He was more vulnerable now than ever before, and she would find and kill the bastard who'd started this entire mess. She'd have been safe and happy as a rogue if it weren't for him grabbing her, far away from narcissistic vampires and the chaos that was now her life.
Once Coil's power was hers, she'd consider her options for Ebon himself. He'd promised Rachel that once she claimed Hookwolf's power, she could make her own clan, no longer a mere childe. Alec wasn't interested in creating his own clan, happy to be under Ebon, but could she slip his leash and keep all her new powers? She could handle him being nominally above her if she was in another town, with a clan of her own childer to serve her as she embraced her Mekhet nature and became what Coil only wished he was.
If not, being unable to defy him simply meant she needed to be smart about how she worked against him, and she was definitely clever. She could outsmart Ebon, and maybe she could even drain him.
– Alexander Shaw (Ebon) –
Stalking through the night, I smile as I reach my destination.
I considered turning my attention to the Empire first, but after a moment, I decided against it. Kaiser is still trying the soft sell, seeing my rapidly growing power with covetous eyes,
The Merchants are under my control. Squealer has them following her orders, and Skidmark has been left to rot. Mush is pushing for her to try to rescue Skidmark, but I may have to arrange for Mush to disappear. Squealer picked several influential pimps and dealers that I turned into ghouls, binding them to my will. They won't say anything, and Squealer controls their supply of the crimson nectar they need, so they won't work against her because they know I'll cut them off if they do.
Really, it's business as usual for them. They just have a new drug, and Squealer is the one controlling the supply, not Skidmark.
Using [Unseen Presence], I move slowly through the building, bypassing the Asian guards with ease as I wait for someone else to open the door to slip inside.
The smell of sex in the air makes my nose curl as I make my way through the 'abandoned' motel, planning my next move as I explore the ABB's infamous farm. It's just outside of the city proper, well-hidden and remote.
As for how I found it?
I looked up missing women in the city, looking for a recent one, found out where they lived and found something that belonged to them. A fifteen-year-old Korean girl vanished on her way home from school; I found out about her thanks to her mother pleading for more information on a wanted poster.
With Auspex, I used the girl's favourite dress and her hairbrush to use [Spirit Ties] and [The Spirit's Touch] to gather more information on her, then [Unerring Pursuit] to use that information to locate her.
It is hard to hide from me, and before long, I found my target, the infamous farm. Most of the girls here will be sold to brothels out-of-town; the ABB brothels don't keep all the girls they capture, preferring girls who dubiously agreed to become whores rather than the grabbed girls. Finding the man in charge of this place isn't hard. He is a somewhat elderly Chinese man sitting in an office, and his mind reveals a lot of the details about how this little operation works.
Lung is currently out of town, something about a new recruit that he decided to recruit personally. Telepathy has helped me scour the ABB thugs for information, so only Oni Lee is around to defend the Farm should anything happen.
Something like this, for instance.
Calling on [Black Metamorphosis], the shadows rise and envelop me, hiding my features and coating me in pitch-black armour as I begin my work. The elderly man realises he's not alone as my Stranger powers fade, and grabbing his pistol, he desperately aims it at me, but with my speed, endurance and assortment of powers, regular thugs just aren't a threat to me anymore.
I'm careful not to kill him as I backhand him into the wall because I know what he is going to do as I leave him coughing up some blood from the force behind my blow, heading into the base as I begin the mayhem.
He's a well-trained man, and as he realises that a Cape has discovered the newest location of the farm, he pulls out his phone and sends a message, summoning Oni Lee to defend the place.
I smile, even as I descend upon the panicking thugs, the shadows spreading as [Shroud of Night] plunges the entire motel into darkness. The sounds of screaming, gunshots and shouting are muffled by a cloud of living shadows, [Oblivion's Sight] letting me move freely as I hunt.
– Oni Lee –
Arriving at the farm, he looked around for the cape who had dared attack Lung's property with calm eyes despite the chaos.
Finding the threat wasn't hard; the shadow-cloaked figure was toying with the ABB men who were meant to defend the Farm, tossing them around with ease and dodging their attacks as the cape dashed around at inhuman speeds.
As the figure stopped, holding one of the ABB thugs by the throat, seemingly taunting him, Lee struck. Teleporting next to him, Lee pulled his usual modus operandi, trying to blow up the intruder, even if it killed several of his men.
Teleporting away, he left a clone to explode and frowned as something struck him the moment he teleported away, the cape dashing towards him at ungodly speeds, striking him in the chest and sending him tumbling away. Despite the pain and likely a cracked rib, Lee just moved again and tried again, teleporting behind the figure and trying to shank them with his knife, but the cape grabbed his wrist and snapped it with a mocking laugh.
"This is the fearsome Oni Lee? This broken little worm?" the man asked, but Lee didn't rise to the taunts as he pulled the pins on his grenades.
As he teleported away, watching the cape outrun his explosion, he went to move again before he felt a shard of fear for the first time as his vision went pitch black. He needed to be able to see to teleport, but his eyes failed him as he swivelled his head around desperately.
As he felt a pair of fangs bite into his neck, he tried to blow himself up anyway, but his arms refused to move to his bandolier of grenades. Lung would kill this fool, but Lee knew it wouldn't be soon enough to save him.
It was with indifference that he felt his lifeblood being drained, his body going limp.
– Alexander Shaw (Ebon) –
Oni Lee is unique because his mind is so damaged by his own power that he barely remembers who he is anymore. His soul is the weakest I've seen, and it is because of that fact that I'm willing to claim it for myself.
[Autonomic Mastery] is a hard counter for people who need to be able to see. I simply turned off his sight, and he was left powerless. I'm actually mildly impressed that his final act was to try and kill us both, but I wasn't going to allow him to deny me my hard-won meal.
[Oni Lee: Double Trouble]
While using any form of teleportation ability, you leave behind a copy of yourself for five seconds, which will follow your mental commands.
[Dementation, Discipline of Madness: Adept]
[Confusion]
Cloud your target's mind, causing them to wander around in a daze, mostly unresponsive to stimuli.
[Silence the Sane Mind]
Suppress part of the victim's mind, affecting them in different ways such as making them confused, enraged or even catatonic.
[Mass Hallucinations]
Inflict Hallucinations on everyone within your range. You do not control what they see, but you can choose the theme of the hallucinations, such as making everyone see what they fear or forcing them to see their loved ones dying in brutal ways; you do not need to know their loved ones or fears for it to work, as their minds provide the details.
[Voice of Madness]
Your voice can drive those who hear it into extreme fear or anger, spreading terror and making those who listen to you cower or flee or driving them into a homicidal rage.
[Total Insanity]
Drive your target's mind into a temporary insanity, though you do not choose which insanity is inflicted upon them.
[Devil in the Mind]
Cause your target to lose all inhibitions and social morals while bringing their impulses to the surface.
It says a lot about Lee that his broken mind was able to give me two full levels of Dementation, granting me new powers ready to inflict madness upon the world. Lee's soul is as pathetic as I expected, fading into the others without a fight.
Looking down at his body, I scoff before I get to work and slice my wrist, letting my blood drip onto him and watching as [Ashes to Ashes] does its work, reducing him to nothing as Oblivion takes him.
Lee's decision to blow himself up repeatedly made short work of the witnesses, and I head back inside as I make my rounds, overpowering the remaining thugs who weren't smart enough to run, convinced that Lee would handle it.
Binding them all with ropes made by [Nightshades], the pitch-black ropes utterly unbreakable by people so damn feeble, I let my [Black Metamorphosis] fade as I put on the facade of a true hero.
Dozens of traumatised girls of varying ages are freed, ranging from early forties down to preteens, a smile on my lips as I put my acting skills to work, playing the concerned hero. Auspex, Dominate and Presence combined ensure that things go smoothly, though I don't do anything too heavy to make sure not to trigger the PRT's master-stranger protocols as the heroes finally arrive.
Miss Militia dismounts her bike, two PRT vans pulling up behind her as she approaches me, hesitating as she spots nearly forty women in various states of undress and abuse. What little clothes they have been torn, semen stains their bodies, and they are littered with bruises, making it very obvious what happened to them.
"Hello again, Miss Militia," I say, giving her a small smile and a nod as she approaches, though my smile looks strained, and a look of distress is poorly hidden as she looks around.
"Ebon, a pleasure. Your message mentioned Oni Lee. Is he still here?" Miss Militia asks, looking around at the clear blast marks.
"I overpowered him, but he fled. He was no real match for me; I'm too fast for him to catch with his little grenade trick, and I'm fairly certain I broke his ribs with a blow," I explain. "I chose to remain behind; I hadn't taken down all the thugs yet and didn't want to leave the girls unattended. I'm fast, but teleporters are hard to pin down," I admit with a frown, but she gives me a soft smile despite her own concerned look.
"You did the right thing, Ebon; how did you even find this place? We had trouble finding it even with your directions," Miss Militia admits, making me pause and nod over to one of the girls, the one who led me here. The girl is sat on the floor, her legs pulled up to her chest, utterly nude. She has been here the shortest, I think, but she too has that broken look in her eyes, semen leaking from her abused holes and bruises covering her slender body.
"I have almost a dozen different Thinker powers at this point. I was looking into a missing person case, that is Song Su-Bin. Her mother put up a missing person poster, and it got me wondering. I asked her mother for some of her belongings, a dress she loved and a hairbrush, and used them to track her down," I explain, truthfully no less. That's a rarity for me.
I catch Miss Militia's eyes widening at the idea of me having so many powers, but she is a consummate professional as she nods.
"Impressive, though you are lucky that Lung didn't respond. This could have gone very differently if he did," Miss Militia admits, making me grin.
"Luck is for fools. As I said, I have a lot of Thinker powers, and I know Lung is out of town. He has headed to New York to try and recruit the Cornell Bomber. I saw an opportunity, and I couldn't leave several dozen girls to be violated," I say, getting a soft look from her even as I catch her surprise at the revelation of Lung's plan. "Oni Lee is dangerous, but he is no Lung."
"Lung won't take this lying down; when he gets back, he will come for you," Miss Militia warns, making me shrug. "If he manages to recruit this bomb tinker, things could get very unpleasant for you."
"True, but I don't regret a thing," I say with a cocky smile. Lung is going to hunt me?
No, Lung is going to bite the bait I've left out for him and find himself hunted because he is very powerful, and it is that power that I want. Lung will be a part of me, joining Lee inside my soul.
Miss Militia continues her informal interview as more PRT troops arrive, securing the thugs and identifying the girls, reconfirming that I'm still coming in for power testing as planned.
I didn't want to go in with meagre power and no reputation, but this should put me in the spotlight, and my growing powers will make me all the more tempting a recruit for them. That doesn't mean I'm done yet; there's one last thing I need before I'm satisfied.
The most in-demand type of Cape, above all else, are healers. My smile grows as I talk with Miss Militia, making it clear that I do want to take the credit since 'Lee' will tell Lung about me either way.
— Bonus Scene — Rebecca Costa-Brown (Alexandria)
Piggot's report on Ebon was as scathing as she'd expected from the bitter woman, already hating Ebon for his arrogance and recklessness.
Piggot would hate him far more if she knew what his true nature was: a self-perpetuating Master and Trump, growing stronger and spreading his power to those he deemed worthy of his 'gift'.
Ebon was far from subtle in his actions, and his unknowing interference in their Brockton Bay experiment had drawn their attention when Coil had contacted them in the hopes of buying another power after Ebon had removed the Undersiders from his control. His precious power could not work on Ebon, and it had him terrified and hateful of the disruption to his plans,
Ebon was a threat, similar to Teacher in many ways, but Rebecca just rubbed her chin in thought. No doubt Piggot would be happy to throw him into the Birdcage when his deeds were revealed, and Ebon was simply too careless and prideful to hide them forever.
They couldn't predict Ebon himself, but the aftermath of his actions was a different situation. Regent, Bitch and Tattletale were all now far stronger, and Ebon could claim the powers of those he drained.
She was half tempted to send him into the Birdcage, not to imprison him but to have those powers that were wasting away drained. Ebon wanted to be a hero, not out of the goodness of his heart but because the man was a Grade-A Narcissist and loved the spotlight.
Such a man would be easy to control despite their inability to read him. He wanted wealth and glory, of which she could provide in great measures. Stroking her chin, she considered what was the best way to approach the upcoming meeting with Ebon.
Author's Note: Yes, I know that Lee's brain damage was probably just an incorrect comment by a butt-hurt Jack Slash, but I like the concept.
Marethyu's Note: "Nah, I'd win" -Lisa (a thinker) vs a thinker-immune cape who can mind control her
Malcolm's note: Lisa is a Vampire for ten minutes before she starts plotting to diablerize her sire. Because, of course.
Written: 09/07/2024
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The Advance Chapters
Diamond: The Celestial Professor Ch04, The Game Master Ch08. Celestial Remnant Ch08, Celestial Professor Ch02
Plat: The Blessed Ch07, The Warlord Ch14, The Nightmare Ch13
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Basic: New Game Plus Ch08
Quest: The Celestial Roulette Ch15-19
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