Atlanta - Darkness Before Dawn

[Florian Raniari]

((OOC: This thread is open to Brennan, Madison, Bastian, Justin, Lexi, Ben, and Darian. Also, this thread takes place in May 2035, rather than "current" site time.))

Sastre was in a sort of daze.

He could remember the rest of the drive back to Atlanta after he'd called Lexi and Ben, and he recalled entering his and Madison's home. The feelings of anger, fear, and helplessness that had overwhelmed him at the sight of the blood and destruction there were still fresh within his mind, even though nearly two days had passed. But it was like he'd been seeing all of this from outside himself, and he felt like something of a detached observer more than anything else. His feelings were there, and they were incredibly potent, but in a way, it felt like they were someone else's feelings, and he was simply watching and experiencing them second-hand.

In short, he knew he was in a light state of shock.

Guilt weighed heavily upon him. He hated himself for leaving only Lily there to protect Madison, he hated Darian for having chosen that particular moment to strike. He even hated Lily, in a way, for being unable to stop the vampire. All of this guilt was pointless, he knew, and he also knew that his hatred for Lily wasn't real either, but it was there, along with everything else, and he chose to focus on it rather than on the fears that threatened to overwhelm him completely.

Madison was dead. Lily was dead. He had failed, again...

Now, after having to wait for Lexi and Ben to arrive, as well as explaining everything he could about the supernatural to Justin, Sastre and the others were gathered outside of a large, abandoned, two-story warehouse on the edge of the city. Darian had written the address of the building in blood on the wall of Madison's living room, no doubt to make sure that Sastre would be there to answer his challenge. Well, it had worked. He was here.

Unlike all of the previous times, though, that he and Darian had faced off, Sastre had not come alone this time, and he had no intention of following the vampire's "rules" either. He'd brought back up, friends, and he prayed they'd be enough to finally take his insane brother down once and for all. Brennan was there, of course, as well as Bastian, Lexi, Ben, and Justin. Heath and Adams had also shown up, determined to help Sastre rescue Lily and Madison.

Everyone knew the plan: Sastre, Justin, and Bastian would wait outside for a few minutes while Lexi led the others inside. There, Sastre knew from experience, Darian would have a dozen or so vampires that he'd hired waiting. Of course, they'd only be expecting Sastre, and certainly not a group of well-trained, determined hunters and witches. Once a path was cleared within, Sastre, Bastian, and Justin would enter and hit the stairs, ascending to the second level where Darian was no doubt keeping Madison and Lily. Sastre and Bastian would engage the vampire, and Justin would get the girls to safety. Sastre had also told Justin that if something went wrong, and he had to end up choosing between Madison or Lily, Madison was the one he should pick.

It's what Lily would have wanted, and Sastre knew it.

After double checking to make sure that everyone was equipped properly, Sastre returned his attention to the building. He'd decided to strike at noon, with the sun high over head, hoping that that would give them some sort of advantage against the horde of vampires that awaited them inside. He prayed it would be enough.

He prayed Madison and Lily were alright...

"Is everyone ready?" he asked, absently adjusting his sling--which served to conceal a few special tricks for Darian--and trying to ignore the tremor in his voice.

((TAG: whoever!))

[Ben Isaac Winchester]

“All I gotta say,” Ben said as he looked up at the vampires’ stronghold that loomed in front of them. “If the bloodsuckers in there are as cliché as their ‘nest,’ I’m gonna start crying.”

The atmosphere around the abandoned warehouse was dire; right out of a horror movie. Hell, it even had the semi-caved in roof and the eerie feel to the place. What, was it so freaking hard for vampires to inhabit a…fuck, a five star hotel, or something? That way, after all the exterminating was done, a certain Hunter with the bruised up body could soak in a hot tub.

Mmm…hot tub. With a sexy blonde in there with him. And champagne…and strawberries—

Sastre’s voice cut through his happy little reverie, forcing him back to the present. With a sigh, Ben cast a droll look at the older Hunter. When he’d gotten the call for help, he’d been holed up in a motel room, making friendlies with a woman who would make even the most clueless angel cry. She was doing something really cool with the massage she’d offered to give…then, with one twang of ‘Highway to Hell,’ and he was on the road, headed toward the fight of his life.

…And that was just about when guilt smacked him upside the head. Yeah, he’d had to abandon a really willing blonde, to help a fellow Hunter saved the girls he so obviously cared about. Real nice, Winchester, you friggin’ pig.

Casting a sideways glance at Lexi, Ben moved forward until he was standing next to the older man. Eyeing the building with a contemplative frown, he slid his pistol out of the holster at his side and cocked the weapon.

”Ready to rock, Sir. Just give us the signal to move out.”

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[Alexis Reese James]

Well, well.. Wasnt this just like old times?

Barring the fact that Ben was with them and she was having to resist the urge at sending him off since she'd helped raise him like he was her own son. Never mind that he was all grown up just as Bastian was and capable of making his own decisions. It just didn't sit well with her to have them both in the line of fire but what was a mother to do when they were grown men ? It wasn't like she could lock them in their rooms anymore or threaten to take away their supper.

So here she was.. Pretending to a calm that she didn't feel. All for the love of an old friend to whom she owed a lot. One of the few people that she'd willingly walk through fire for.

And now they prepared for a battle in which they might not all walk away from. She could feel the worry pouring from Sastre and with one hand she reach to touch his shoulder before moving past and taking in the building. Her keen senses checked for danger even as she patted her weapons and prepared to go in on the first frontal assault. Although her powers weren't those of a true witch, she could still do some major damage on other levels while the others had time to cast spells or hexes needed.

"I think we are as ready as we are ever going to be.... No time like the present..."

That said, she grin and offered the men a round of fine cuban cigars and chocolate bars for those who abored the smell of tobacco.

"For when its all over except the fat lady singing..." she said with a dry tone, redoing a ritual she'd made at every single major battle of her life. "Something to look forward to when its all said and done...."

(Ok, just flying by the seat of my pants here.. Let me know if I did it wrong or need to change something... LOL)

[madison]

Madison woke in a dark, cold fog. Her body shivered and quickly became riddled with goosebumps. Along with it came the undeniable wave of pain. It distinctly felt like someone was beating on her brain like it was drum. She could feel the pulsing rhythm of it. Groaning she put a hand to her head.

Somehow that was worse than the pain in her leg. The pain was there though. A constant, but tolerable pain.

The ground was cold and hard beneath her, the world fuzzy. Blinking, Madison attempted to clear the haze. The world got brighter bringing a wave of hard nausea along with it. She rolled to her side, emptying the contents of her stomach onto the floor beside her.

The pressure against her head made darkness tinge at the edge of her vision. Madison forced herself to take slow deep breaths until the darkness was pushed back. Swallowing thickly she looked around, trying to remember, what exactly had happened.

It all came back to Madison in a quick rush. Darian, Steven.

Lily!

Madison had done everything she could for Sastre's daughter. Then Darian had knocked her out. Fear crept into her heart, not for herself, but for Lily. Closing her eyes, she prayed the woman was all right.

After taking another few deep breaths, Madison forced herself to sit up. The world tilted for a moment and the nausea crept back up. She managed to keep anything that was left in her stomach down. After the world steadied itself, Madison looked around for something to splint her leg with. Once she was patched herself up as much as she could, Madison would attempt to find Lily. Or a phone. Hopefully both.

Hopefully Lily would be alive.

[Abigail Faraday-Brennan]

Brennan was ready to go.

She’d been ready, more than ready for days, weeks, just waiting for Darian to make his move. Now the time had finally come, and not in the way she had expected. She and Lily had taken so much painstaking care in preparing for the impending attack, practicing, plotting, running scenario after scenario. But they’d been so wrapped up in trying to keep Madison safe that they’d completely missed Darian’s underlying intentions. And now they were paying for it. Brennan was painfully aware of the empty place next to her, trying in vain to ignore the gaping absence where Lily should have been. They’d been fools, all of them.

All of this and more ran through the back of her mind in a torturous undercurrent, but nothing showed on the witch’s face as she silently checked her equipment over for the last time. She quickly counted guns, felt pockets and pouches for spare clips of ammo, and shifted holsters holding various other weapons, including the wicked machete slung across her back. Next came her charms, amulets, and other various magical tools, which were also all in order. The nasty bit of black magic Darian had used to rip apart her wards had left her synapses singed and aching, and she was hoping she could supplement herself with her already invoked supplies, rather than relying solely on raw power. She would still be able to work magic, but until her mind healed, every spell she twisted sent ripples of remembered agony coursing through her skull, making her control less than perfect for the time being. Well, she’d deal with that when the time came.

Last but not least, Brennan reached up and gently fingered the small talisman hanging from her neck, tucked carefully away under her shirt. She’d custom made one for each member of their group, hoping they might be enough to turn the tide in their favor. The single-use amulets were designed to stabilize their wearer after they had sustained a debilitating or life threatening injury, their magic activated once the cord was broken. Technically, they were meant to give someone the extra few moments needed to escape from a fight if they were hurt too badly to continue, but she doubted the hunters present would use them for their intended purpose. Hunters didn’t tend to like the thought of retreating, and in their line of work, being able to fight for a few more minutes might make all the difference. Or it might get them killed. Only one way to know for sure.

Satisfied that she was ready as she’d ever be, Brennan finished taking inventory with a complete and utter detachment that had enveloped her since she had first returned to Madison’s house. It had been Ellia and the demon all over again, and as soon as the first metallic stench of congealing blood hit her, she had shut down completely and let her training take over. For the moment, everything was turned off and shoved down so deep inside that she almost couldn’t tell it was there at all. If she had been in her right mind, her uncharacteristic lack of emotion might have worried her, but the nice thing about feeling nothing was that you felt nothing about feeling nothing. Later, when everything was over and done, she’d deal with the consequences, but not now. Right now, Lily and Madison needed her to be at her best, and damned if that wasn’t what she’d give them. It was finally time.

Turning to Sastre, Brennan met his eyes and nodded solemnly once, ready and waiting to give Darian the punishment he so sorely deserved.

[Florian Raniari]

Sastre took Lexi's offered cigar without thought, his mind focused solely on the battle to come.

This was it. Finally, the confrontation that he'd been waiting months for was here, and even though he was sick with worry for Lily and Madison, a part of him was relieved too. Relieved that Darian had finally made his move. Relieved that it would all be over soon, finally.

One way or another...

Sastre had no doubts that this time would be different than all of his countless other battles with Darian over the years. This time, only one of them would walk away, or neither. It was all or nothing, and for the first time in his life, Sastre really had something to fight for. He would not let Darian win this time, not when a normal life was finally so close...

He gave a single nod to Lexi, Ben, Brennan, Heath, and Adams, signalling that it was time. Under any other circumstances, Sastre would have smiled at the sight of them advancing upon the building like a single unit, all well trained and well prepared despite many of them having just met each other hours before. You could always tell the best hunters from the average ones, because the best were able to work seamlessly with just about anyone in any given circumstance. It was an instinct borne from experience, and Sastre was proud to be able to call these people his friends.

Keeping a close eye on the building as the group of hunters entered, Sastre wondered what Darian had told the vampires within to gain their cooperation. He wondered also if any of them were keeping guard. It was possible, but he hoped unlikely, as the sun was high overhead and beating down mercilessly. Any smart vampire would be remaining inside, within the shadows and away from the windows, most of which were boarded up anyway. It was true that sunlight wouldn't kill a vampire like it did in the stories, but the creatures were still none to fond of it.

When the sounds of battle erupted from inside, it took everything Sastre had not to run in and help his friends. He knew, though, that he had to stick to the plan. Everyone who had entered that building was perfectly capable, and could manage to somehow stay alive without his intervention. Or so he hoped.

"Three minutes," Sastre told Bastian and Justin, reminding both of the equally tense men of the plan. "And Justin, remember: you're not here to fight. Defend yourself if necessary, but avoid conflict as much as possible. You need to get the girls out of there. That's your first priority. Bastian and I will handle the rest."

Two more minutes...

Soon, it would be over.

[Darian Raniari]

Darian stood in the center of the room, waiting for the battle to come.

Periodically, he let his eyes wander to the corner where Madison had finally regained consciousness. He had to give the woman credit: she was much tougher than she looked. That was no doubt the reason that Sastre had been drawn to her. In the inky darkness of the large, open room, Darian knew that she had yet to see him, as it would take a while for her eyes to adjust. Tearing his attention away from the battered and bloodied woman, the vampire instead studied his newly-turned companion, Steven.

The larger man leaned casually against the wall, mere feet from Madison, his arms crossed over his chest as he leered at her. The expression on his face actually made Darian sick, as did the memories of how readily the man had beaten and tortured her the night before. The man was a truly sick and sadistic individual, and Darian was surprised to find himself regretting including him in the plan. Oh well, it didn't matter.

Darian would murder the man himself soon enough.

The truth was, Darian took no real pleasure in dealing out pain and torment to those who didn't really deserve it. Madison's relationship with Sastre had led her to this, of course, and Darian had readily stolen her away for use in his plan, but she wasn't the one he really wanted to hurt. Sastre, though, was a different story. Darian did enjoy hurting him, torturing him, and making his life a living hell. He didn't regret the actions he'd taken to bring such suffering to the hunter, but he sometimes did regret the necessary casualties. Like Madison.

And like Lily.

Darian shoved those thoughts of regret out of his mind, replacing them with a deep, cold rage at what Sastre had done to him. The hunter had murdered Abrielle, Darian's lover, his life-mate, and in cold blood, as she had begged him for mercy. At that moment, Darian had felt something snap within him, something he'd been barely holding back to begin with. His life had been changed forever that day, and now there was no going back.

He'd chosen this path, and he'd walk it until the end. No matter what that end was.

The sounds of sudden combat broke out on the ground floor below, snapping Darian out of his reverie and causing a cruel smile to tug at his lips. Soon, this round would be over, and the game would begin again. Perhaps this time he'd actually kill Sastre, but he doubted it. And, perhaps, this time the hunter would actually manage to murder him. But, again, Darian seriously doubted it.

The vampire had an insurance policy this time. Sastre would have to make a choice: kill Darian and finally be free of his schemes, or save his only daughter before it was too late...

Soon now, Darian thought, readying himself. Soon...

[Alexis Reese James]

All for one.... One for all!

There was a moto that certainly seemed to fit the moment!

As their little group disbanded and the witches started into the "front lines", the blond couldn't help but give a rueful smile. Just like old times, it was. How many times had they "Stormed the castle" in past? Takin out the bad guys before they could take THEM out? It made a person wonder just how on earth they'd gotten into this sort of lifestyle instead of being lucky enough to lead average ordinary lives in naive bliss. Was it a luck of the draw thing? A supernatural lottery? Or was their really such a thing as fate? Did they all truly have a preplanned destiny with their parts to play? It was enough to make a person wonder some days.

Luckily for her, she didn't have time to worry about it right now. She had some bloodsuckers to destroy.

With a gleeful smile at her companions and a kick to the door that sent the wood splintering, Lexi announced their arrival and signals the distraction the men would need. As they all stepped into the warehouse, she took a quick mental count of the "bodies" and then went to work. The vampires were just canon fodder they all knew so it wasn't surprising when they started coming out of the woodwork and diving for them. They looked starved and obviously saw them as a source of food with desperate need.

It was enough to make Lexi feel all warm and gooey inside.

NOT!

Of all the creatures out there in the world to be afraid of, vampires where Lexi's one true fear. She could take on a demon without batting an eye but the flash of fangs made her want to cower like a perfect idiot. Since that feeling only made her mad, she directed that emotion into destroying them instead. It was so much more satisfying after all.

As a particularly brutish looking male squared off in her path, Lexi smiled evilly and whipped out her hand. "DOWN BOY!" she said with a soft, southern drawl. "BAD GUARD DOG!" With a flash of power that wasn't grounded in witchcraft, she sent the man flying back into a wall. For good measure, she mentally grabbed an old metal cabinet and threw it on top of him. "STAY! GOOD PUPPY!" she finished before glancing back over her shoulder to see how the others were doing.

After all...

ALL FOR ONE! ONE FOR ALL!

[Florian Raniari]

It was time.

Sastre broke into a run, his eyes focused on the entrance to the building and nothing else. From within, he could here the chaotic, tumultuous sounds of battle, and he reminded himself not to get involved. This went against everything he believed in, of course, against his very nature. But he had to trust that his companions could take care of themselves, and that they'd be alright. They were all hunters. They all knew the risks.

Darkness engulfed him as he ran through the door, finding his senses assaulted by the sights and sounds of battle all around him. He had his clear path, though; a single bit of calm in the storm, and he ran ahead without looking back or around. Lexi and the others had done perfectly, securing a route in and out, and holding Darian's lackeys at bay. With luck, the vampire still wouldn't know that there was anyone here but Sastre, but the old hunter had learned a long time ago not to rely too heavily on luck.

It took barely a minute to reach the stairs, and Sastre hit them at a full run, taking them two at a time and feeling his confidence bolstered by the sound of Bastian and Justin's feet pounding up just behind him. So far so good. Everything was going according to plan, though he knew that no matter how good a plan was, it was more likely to fall apart than not.

Reaching a small landing and rounding a corner, Sastre's battle-honed reflexes were all that saved him as a vampire leapt out at him from the shadows. Throwing himself out of the creature's way, Sastre simply delivered a sudden back-hand to the side of its head. That, combined with its own momentum, sent the vampire careening down the stairway, narrowly missing Bastian and Justin. Years of training made Sastre feel like he had to go down and finish the job, but he knew that rescuing Lily and Madison was far more important.

One of the others would be able to take the vampire out.

A dozen or so steps later, Sastre entered a large, open chamber. It was night-dark inside the building, but through a few small cracks in the ceiling and walls, and through the boards that covered the windows, bright sunlight filtered in. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, Sastre became aware of four things:

Firstly, Darian was not alone. Steven, Madison's ex-husband, stood on the far side of the room, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. And, from the way the faint light shone off of his eyes, Sastre knew that he had been turned.

Perfect...

The second thing he noticed was Madison, lying in a corner, and from this distance Sastre couldn't tell if she was alive or not. He pushed thoughts of her death aside. Dwelling on the possibility now would only make things worse in the fight to come.

Seeing Madison there, though, made Sastre acutely aware of his third observation: Lily was nowhere to be seen. This realization made him stop in place, his feet suddenly feeling like blocks of concrete. If she wasn't here... He shook the obvious thoughts that assailed him out of his mind.

Darian had to be dealt with first, before anything else could be done...

And Darian, actually, was the fourth thing that Sastre had noticed. The vampire stood in the center of the room, his pale features contorted into a mask of outrage. His hands, hanging at his sides, clenched and unclenched, and there was a distinct twitch to his left eye. Sastre knew his brother's face and posture as well as his own, of course, and these small outward signs of anger were simply a front for the seething, roiling mass of hatred and rage that burned just below the surface.

There was no going back now.

It was all or nothing this time.

[Ben Isaac Winchester]

”Here we come to save the daaaaay!”

The Hunter’s voice rang out gleefully, as Lexi kicked down the door and started the impending fight. Vampires seemed to swarm out of every nook and cranny, and while some of the others gasped in fright, Ben could only start laughing hysterically.

No, this did NOT look like some B-Horror movie. Those vamps were NOT wearing big, flowing clothes and they were NOT hissing at him like freaking scalded cats. Jesus Christ; whoever ended up turning these pansies really needed to get their nuts cut off. Bish please.

But hey, one upside; there was enough for everyone!

Back and forth, roundhouse and sucker punch; the battle raged and he felt his mind clearing; numbing. He ignored the cries of the wounded and the misting of blood around them, instead focusing on the almost rhythmic vibration of his fist against flesh and the butts of his guns as he fired bullet after bullet into the vampires throwing themselves at him. He didn’t think of the fact that the beautiful Lexi was doing a wonderful job of holding her own, or that his fellow Hunters were having almost as much of a ball as he was.

There was just him, his weapons and his enemies. It was time for them to die.

Later, Ben would claim that he’d ‘gone all Matrix on the motherfuckers,’ and describe his mindset as being too ‘Zen’ for them. But in the moment, all he could think of was the peaceful aftermath that would follow their little excursion into Vampire Hell. Whether dead or alive and covered in sticky blood, one couldn’t help but love the calm that fell after the killing was done. He almost felt one with those departed souls leaving their savaged bodies. It was…enlightening.

…And he was fuckin’ strange; so sue him.

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