Sacramento, Spring, 2051
Jake used the boot jets and back boosters to super jump his way back to his office. Purely, technological.
He was saving his spells for when the shit hit the fan.
Shit was getting weird.
It had always been dangerous, but things had been pretty good for a long time and they had gotten a little complacent.
His expanding belly was one sign.
The lack of leveling over the last few years was perhaps more damning.
They should’ve realized that it was never over. Never smooth sailing straight ahead when it came to the spires. Should’ve known that the Terminus and Bountiful Decade shit was just the beginning. That they could, would always make it worse.
The building, well, everyone was on high alert.
Not that they weren’t already with the near constant monster attacks on the walls.
The weird shit with all the small creatures going to war with each other had been disturbing as fuck.
The new spotlights were ready.
Almost everyone had a flashlight version and the Threnosh were working overtime to churn more out.
Shit wasn’t going to be a wonder weapon.
It wasn’t an instant kill. Not even a fast one really.
Maybe if one could keep the beam in a vampire’s face for a few minutes?
As always the higher one’s level the more Skills and natural durability came into play.
Bennett didn’t have it, but Jake knew a Skill to resist sunlight existed.
It didn’t take much smarts to understand that ‘resist’ at Level 20 was probably closer to ‘ignore’ at Level 40.
Then there was whatever the hell that crimson vitae thing was.
Shit was pretentious.
“Right, dudes?”
He wasn’t surprised to find the fancy vampiric rats out of the cage he had asked them nicely to wait inside.
“C’mon, bros. I know you’re smart.”
The jet black one glared with his red-tinted eyes.
“It’s not personal. Bennett sent you away for a reason, right? Can you be bros for just a bit? Until we sort this out…”
The black and white cow-colored one glared with her red-tinted eyes.
“Sorry, sorry, sis. To be fair, he did name you ‘Dracula’, should’ve named you… I don’t know, what’s a girl vampire name?” He wasted time thinking about it. “Lilith? Or is that too pretentious? Selene? Or that chick from Ultraviolet?”
The rats chittered and refused to vacate his desk.
His door opened at that moment.
Detective Ordonez strode in.
Her hair was all gray now and her tanned face was lined by the years.
The only new-looking thing about her was her magitech leg.
He had rushed through with upgrades over the last few months.
He was also pleased to see that she was wearing one of his harnesses filled with spell modules.
The Threnium stuff went to the combat people first.
“Any issues with the leg?”
“No. It’s great. I hate it. Got used to the old one.” She shrugged. “Detective’s intuition,” she tapped her temple, “telling me I needed to be here.” She regarded the rats. “Has something to do with those two. Where’s Bennett?”
The three of them sort of shared a bond over that thing with Flo.
Shit had been fucked, so they rarely talked openly about it.
A couple of times a year they’d gather with Cal and drink while staring silently into the night.
Fun times.
Hadn’t had a gathering in a while due to understandable circumstances.
“Your Skill is telling you… things?”
Unquantifiable things he didn’t particularly like.
“You getting hard of hearing in your old age, Gates? And I thought I was slowing down.” She gave him a mirthless smile.
“I’ll have you know that magitech allows people of your… stature… to enjoy life to the fullest all the way to your… golden years.”
“Fool’s gold more like it,” she snorted. “No ones retiring. They might think they are, but the spires don’t care that you put in 30 years.”
“So, you just had a nebulous Skill thing telling you to be here?”
“You know how it works.”
“Have you dug deeper? Did your mind palace thing?”
“Nothing in here. My nose is pulling me to Bennett’s place, but you know the rules.”
“Shit! I was afraid you’d say something like that. Alright. You’re the best detective, so I’d be stupid not to listen. Right, okay. Give me a few minutes to make some calls. Then we can head over. Did you tell anyone else?”
“You know I’m not going to risk a shit shower by a lack of communication. Laid everything out to the chief. Everyone’s on alert already. But, I told him that I was on this one.”
Jake made two calls.
One to the government’s special task force.
One to the Watch.
Naturally, he put himself on the team despite the years since his last swim in shit soup.
He had made himself too important as one of their best magitech developers.
Though, Hillary had surpassed him in that regard.
He was more of a CEO type now.
Leading from behind his desk when he’d much rather be down in the trenches innovating and shit.
Granted his admin team did most of the work while he still tinkered at said desk and in the workshop and at home.
These days the only combat he saw was the few hours a day he volunteered on the wall and the occasional monster that managed to get in the city.
Honestly, he had his power armor.
Threnium gave him a lot of confidence.
He was more worried about Bennett.
The sun had set when they undid the chains and stepped into the darkness of the old airport archive building, Bennett’s home.
----------------------------------------
Tessa lounged on her couch.
It was comfortable.
Brand new.
She had just moved in a few weeks ago.
It was a ton of privilege that had gotten her an apartment… condo?
She didn’t know exactly what it was. Still getting back into Earth life after so long on two other worlds.
Coming up on five months back.
Still not used to it.
In some ways it was more advanced than the last world, more primitive in others.
It was nice not having her every moved watched.
Being an emperor had been necessary, but sucked on a personal level.
In a way, she was still being privileged.
The government had basically thrown everything at her to get her to live in the city.
Gave her the apartment? Condo? On the second highest floor in one of the tallest buildings in downtown.
It had been strategic, tactical and privilege based decision.
They had wanted to give her the entire floor.
She had an almost uninterrupted field of fire in all directions for miles.
Naturally, she had demurred.
The other units on her floor remained empty. Hopeful enticements for her parents and little sister.
Though her mom and dad had decided to fix their old house and live there for sentimental reasons.
Vee didn’t care about having a home. She and her Justice V spent their time on the walls and venturing out to slay monsters and reset spawn zones. They slept where they slept was a fond saying they had.
Nope.
They’d crash at their mom and dad’s or at her new place when they got sick of living rough.
Then again, how rough could it be when there were hotels and motels all over the city reserved for fighters on the walls.
Apparently, those were fairly new. At least the big gleaming ones.
It had been a long time and from what she remembered the walls had been makeshift things made out of old vehicles and any random thing they could pile up. Plus, they hadn’t encircled the entire city. Just the most important places. Where people lived. Supply sources. Power generator stuff. Water stuff. Weapons and armor places. The essentials.
Her dad and uncles put the new walls up in a matter of days.
They had even walled up a few cities on the 80 and the 50 on the way to Tahoe.
Walled up a few areas in Tahoe too in addition to all the farmland around Sacramento all the way up into Apple Hill and down south on the 5.
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Farms needed water. One of the things she learned as an emperor. They were lucky the river ran through the area.
Apparently, her uncle had a cabin on the lake somewhere.
People had wanted to spread out.
Seemed like a mistake now.
Instead of just defending one place, the government had to defend multiple.
She didn’t like sieges.
One experience had been enough.
Dying and death.
That’s all she got out of it.
Before her thoughts could turn to past pain, her phone rang.
“Hey, Mom. What’s up?”
“Why don’t you come over for dinner. Your dad made your favorite.”
Was it still her favorite?
“He made it last week.”
“Okay fine. You got us. We’re worried— an alert came through a little bit ago. Did you get it?”
She did.
And one of the soldiers had come down and knocked on her door to make sure.
“Relax, Mom. I’ve got a full detachment of soldiers on the top floor with a lot of machine guns and cannons and mortars. Missiles too and the biggest spotlight the fabricators could make.”
“Which makes it a target.”
“Perfect place for me then.”
“Tessa—”
At least her mom hadn’t ‘Tessandra’d’ her.
It would have been patronizing after all that she had seen and done.
“We’d talked about this. I was on the walls throwing back everything the Spore God threw to the end. I helped destroy the Zalthyss machine. I fought the H—” she took a deep breath. She was starting to sound like one of those weirdos. “Point is… these world events sound bad, but I’d been through similar and I’m still here. To be fair, so did you guys. All we can do is our best, right?”
“Well at least you’re not your sister.”
“That’s unfair to Vee. She is also doing her best.”
Her mom sighed.
“Can’t we just take a break?”
“Um… I have been. And I’m starting to feel a little selfish about it.”
“You’ve already been through enough Quest crap for a lifetime. We all have.”
“You’re not wrong. Don’t know what to tell you, Mom. We’ve got a responsibility.”
“Can you just come over for dinner? Then you can go back. It’ll take you minutes to fly over with your new power armor. Please?”
To be fair, that was accurate.
The latest in Threnosh engineering stood in its bay next to the fireplace in the middle of her apartment? Condo?
She really needed to find out which.
“Hey, Mom? Quick question. Am I in an apartment or a condo?”
Her phone chimed before she could get an answer.
It sounded like her mom’s did too.
“Oh no…”
“Hang on, Mom. I’ve got to read this.”
Oh no, indeed.
Full red alert.
The garrisons at the Tahoe settlements had missed the hourly check in.
Five minutes late.
No answer.
They took things like this seriously.
Which meant—
“Mom, is Dad heading out?”
“Um… yes, but he’s dropping me off at the hospital first and picking up a team.”
“I want—”
“No. You’re staying where you are. Fire support, remember?”
Well… crap.
Her mom had her there.
“Okay. Be careful. Call me if you need me.”
“You too. I love you.”
“Love you too, Mom.”
She hung up only to have the call replaced by her dad.
He gave her a quick rundown of his plans.
She appreciated it.
Made her feel like the adult woman she was.
“Watch the north and northwest.”
“I figured. The 80 and the 50, right?”
“Yeah, but don’t get tunnel vision. Keep eyes on the sky. And don’t necessarily trust the sensors. I got a direct message from Jake. It was about Bennett.”
“Oh sh— crap.”
The vampire had changed a lot since she had last seen him.
He had never frightened her, even as a kid, but the brief time she had spent in his presence since her return had risen the proverbial hairs on the back of her neck.
She knew a threat when she felt one.
They were trying to help him and that was a good thing, but she couldn’t help wonder if that wasn’t about to stab them in the back.
“Alright. I’ll watch out for a cloud of bats or mist. Although, after yesterday…”
“Exactly, many of those were Bennett’s. There’s a message there.”
“Well, good on him then. So, is this the dawn of the ‘Crimson Era’?” She snorted.
Ancient types were always so pretentious.
“Take it seriously. You’ve seen all the reports your uncles have been sending in and from all the rest with the world events.”
Yes.
She had in fact spent most of her time reviewing every scrap of information that had come in and continued to do so.
She had raised a glass to her uncle for killing the raper clone-sons.
The only good rapist was a dead one.
Wise words to live by.
“Be careful.”
“I am. Sticking to my role as discussed with the government.”
For some reason people kept thinking she’d want to go chase down one of these world events for the rewards and points.
Truth was she had more Universal Points than she could ever need.
As for rewards?
She was already happy with her gear.
Super science tech and magic bullshit she was keeping in her back pocket for a special occasion, which seemed like it was rapidly approaching.
“You be careful too, Dad.”
“Always. I’m going to tell your sister to go to you in case anything happens. Already updated everyone on family channel. Your uncles are engaged and your aunt might not be able to leave. Stick to the contingencies. I love you.”
“Love you too.”
Everyone had their own crises to deal with.
Although, she would’ve had Lera with her had her little cousin been available.
Sure, her cousin was a child, but Lera was several times stronger and more durable than her.
Also, solar powered.
Seemed like a no-brainer.
The adults had disagreed.
Therefore, Lera remained safe-ish in her witch mom’s little slice of the Fae Realm.
Tessa still hadn’t quite wrapped her head around that.
Apparently, she had to visit to properly conceptualize it.
She called her little sister as she prepared to get into her armor.
Vee and her team were on their way back to the wall.
They had been to the south so that was a small relief.
She thought about calling Olo, but sent a quick message instead.
He and Gene had spent most of their time getting reacquainted with their remaining family.
The wounds of the past had scarred them all.
Physically and mentally.
They had the levels to stand with the elite, but no longer had the hearts.
It was fair.
Her mom had been right about that.
She, her sister and their friends had more than enough ‘adventure’ and the trauma that accompanied it than a person should endure in a lifetime.
----------------------------------------
Bennett was a passenger in a car without breaks.
Fortunately, the whispers had made a mistake.
They called, but they didn’t say how fast.
So, he moved just as fast as he needed to in order to avoid monsters.
He’d have stayed to fight and delay further, but the whispers had specified no detours or stops.
Sadly, slow for him was still fast.
He ran along the 50.
Past the walled settlements in Placerville, then Pollock Pines.
He ached for the people.
They didn’t know what was coming.
South Lake Tahoe was his destination.
In the deep, dark woods a few miles outside the walls.
He was the last.
“Hey, you!”
“Lady Rebel?”
“Dropped the ‘lady’. Never really my thing. So, any chance you didn’t come alone?”
“You know the answer to that.”
She spat.
“Fucking voices in my head. Same as the rest of my coterie.” She indicated two other vampires similarly attired as her with hair a riot of colors. Lots of leather, spikes, chains and thick, steel-toed boots.
They weren’t the only vampires.
Counting him, there was 13.
“Unlucky number,” Rebel nodded as if reading his thoughts.
Which none of them could as far as he knew.
He knew that the right path could give a vampire the ability to speak through their thoughts.
Hence the whispers.
Fortunately, it wasn’t mind reading.
Which still gave him a chance.
A quick strike with everything he had in a distracted moment.
Aside from Rebel he didn’t recognize any of the others.
The predators eyed each other warily.
From the spacing it looked like Rebel’s was the only group.
Everyone else had come alone.
They didn’t have to wait long.
Indeed, it was him they were waiting on.
He or it, one couldn’t say for sure, appeared as though it had been standing in their midst the entire time.
Vukylokyr was a dread presence more than a set of physical features and characteristics.
Bennett couldn’t see it. He couldn’t bring himself to look.
It was pain, suffering, hunger and blood.
The worst of what he had tried so long to suppress within him as he gained levels.
Vampire.
Not vampire.
He understood a truth that he hadn’t known existed until this very moment.
“Bend the knee or die.”
Vukylokyr imparted will more than spoke words.
The vampires dropped to one knee.
Bennett resistance lasted a split-second.
It had hardly been a struggle.
Only Rebel remained caught in a crouch.
She grit her fangs, cutting her lips.
Of course she could do it.
Her entire being had been turned to the rejection of authority. Her chosen path must’ve given her the ability to resist.
Vukylokyr imparted amusement.
“There is always a choice. Serve or die.”
Rebel snarled like an animal, the veins in her face and neck writhed as though she was trying to lift the world.
A sudden snap in the air.
Bennett felt that the ancient vampire had released something more than Rebel had cut it herself.
She blurred, landing a potent punch strong enough to break boulders in… something?
He failed to see it.
Vukylokyr’s face?
Another snap, followed by a soft pop.
For vampires that could move as blurs in short bursts, they saw nothing.
Rebel was there one moment.
Gone the next.
The only thing to indicate she had ever been there was the globules of blood floating around the overwhelming presence, the wound in the air, that was Vukylokyr.
“It is a false choice in truth. In the end all will serve.”
It drank in Rebel’s blood.
“Now. Accept these shackles and be given the strength to serve me. The first of my lieutenants on this new world.”
Chains of blood lanced out and pierced Bennett in the back.
Too late.
He had waited too long.
He had never had a chance at all.
These bonds of blood would never be broken.
Not by his hands.
Not by his will.
For they were Vukylokyr’s now.
“Come. Let us feed. Let us raise the first of an army to swallow the world. I have razed civilizations across countless worlds. Tonight, an eternal era of crimson begins!”
Bennett Andrews was a passenger now.
The inner beast had been freed in a way it never had been before.
Red tears flowed down his face as he stepped into the shadows to begin the hunt.