Shiro's Sanctum

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.