Re: Becoming the Bull - Tyler / Dragon

by **Jedi_Master_007** Sun May 10, 2009 12:17 am

Herc nodded. He talked with you for a few more minutes, formulating a plan. He had a few ideas. Herc was going to try and get ahold of Dick. He was pretty sure he could. He'd setup a meeting for 01:45 AM at the old church. Anarchs regularly used it for whatever purposes they needed at the time. Herc told you that he'd call you about an hour and a half before the meeting was to take place.

Herc was sure to get your number. He was also sure to mention that he didn't like the idea of trying to ambush Dick, and had hinted that he didn't really want anything to do with it. Dick was still the prince. After a few more minutes, Herc grudgingly left. He had been waiting around, hoping for the chance to try and talk to Natalya. Instead he did the best he could with what he had at the time and asked you to talk to her for him.

by **Ac1ds0ld13r** Sat May 09, 2009 5:49 pm

Tyler nodded. "The idea is to throw Tatiyanna off a little and buy us some time. Maybe theres something you two have in common you could use? Set up the meeting for you and him, just don't even mention me and Dragon." He was thinking. "My only problem. If Kruel knew so little how the hell are we going to get what we need out of Dick. He's got something invested in this and he's not going to be willing to cough it up. I'm not interested in pounding on the entire coterie until some one cracks. You know?"

by **Jedi_Master_007** Sat May 09, 2009 12:30 am

"Tyler." Herc looked at you like you were stupid. "I'm a big Brujah. I can take care of myself alright. Besides, this is the most fun I had in about ten years." Something told you that Herc probably did think this was fun. Ironic how the Brujah always seem to relish in that which inspires migraines of epic proportions encased in the small confines of your head... Yes. Ironic indeed.

"I think I can get ahold of Dick for you easy enough, but I don't know anything about taking him by surprise. That seems tricky to me." Herc scratched the side of his chin while he looked at you with some doubt. "You got something in mind?"

by **Ac1ds0ld13r** Fri May 08, 2009 10:57 pm

Tyler nodded and the muscles in his jaw clenched several times. "That's exactly what I was thinking. If she gets away we got a fucking plethora of other problems on our hands. One thing I'd be willing to bet on though, she knows me enough to know I like to be the one in the trench. She's following my progress by listening for where I pop up. I'm gonna keep him locked up and see if between me and Dragon we can't de-program him. Its nasty and hard, but between the two of us we should be able to get it done." He looked at Kruel with something akin to pity. The Nosferatu was just a pawn in all of this. "We need someone unconnected to the Tremere to go set up a meeting with Dick, and surprise him with me and Dragon being there. You can't do it. Let's assume she knows you're helping me. She'll assume you're the enemy and either start her little offensive or bolt. Neither is something we need right now." He looked at Herc and almost cursed under his breath. "This is likely gonna hurt Guv. You sure you wanna be in this shit for the long haul? This was Herc's one chance to back out of whatever was coming. Tyler owed him that much at least.

by **Jedi_Master_007** Tue May 05, 2009 10:56 pm

Herc looked at you in disbelief. He was about to say something when Kruel tried to say something. Kruel's mouth moved, but nothing came out. He gargled a nasty sound, gave out a final yelp, and then immediately slumped over. Herc tried to clock him one more time just to see, but Kruel didn't even respond. Herc then looked at you all kinds of dumbfounded. "Huh? What the fuck is this?" You weren't exactly sure. You thought it was one of the safeguards you'd read about for Dominate. It was a crude technique that had been used throughout the dark ages when Tremere would be taken prisoner by elders of the other clans and tortured. It involved subliminal commands that caused the kindred in question to fall into Torpor instead of give away useful information.

Kruel Had given away useful information though. It was time to filter and figure. It started with what you learned. Herc watched you scribble notes. Then he added his own insight. "What have we got here?" Herc analyzed his own thoughts out loud. "I think I have a new respect for Tremere." He started. "But as much as I hate to admit it, Tatiyanna is pretty good herself."

"Kruel told the truth," Herc said as he paced around the room, finally stopping to lean his back against the wall, and to face you. "But given his mindfuck, and that he reports in on his own, it's hard to tell if what he says is bullshit or not, right? I'm thinking though that something more important was said. Kruel mentioned it was a plan by the Midnight Guardians. So what I am thinking is, the Guardians might not know exactly who Kruel checks in with, but they would know the system. I also think that if we talk to Dick, we'll figure out what they are up too, and we'll see if it's possible..." Herc trailed off. You knew he was talking about Dick being corrupt.

"The only thing I am having a problem with, is that I think Tatiyanna will have expected you to try and go meet with Dick. I would, anyway. So that makes me think it's some kind of trick. If it were me, I'd also think that you would try to find some friends in the city. By your collection of associates upstairs, I'd say you're doing a good job too. So it makes me... I'm not sure." Herc shrugged. He squinted and then pushed himself off of the wall. He came forward. "If it were me, I'd be preparing a big final stand, Tyler. I'd go for broke and give myself a foil proof escape route. Tatiyanna has proven wiley so far. What do you think?"

by **Ac1ds0ld13r** Tue May 05, 2009 8:22 pm

Tyler cursed. He had been suspecting this was the case. He scribbled a note and handed it to Kruel. "She's programmed him. He's worthless like this..."

He looked at Kruel, almost with something akin to pity, "She's played in your mind Kruel. You're not her assistant, her ally, or even a pawn to her. She's turned you into a slave. You're her mindless, sniveling, slave. She doesn't care about you, or she'd be here, saving your ass from me. You're just another worthless tool." He was harsh because he was wanting to see how far the Nosferatu's programming ran. Did she just Dominate him, or had she used the Blood. The two caused very different effects. If it had been the Blood... Well Tyler was counting on Kruel to deny his accusations and get defensive. Hostile even. If not, then it meant Kruel was merely Dominated into submission, and Tyler was reasonably sure he could undo that, but it would take time. Still, it would not hurt to have a life boon over a Nosferatu who was close to your enemies...

by **Jedi_Master_007** Tue May 05, 2009 5:05 pm

Kruel looked thoughtful while you wrote. Or at least he had tried to look thoughtful. He was quiet. The look on his face was the same one he had a minute ago when he was thinking. He was quiet a really long time. In fact, Herc was even starting to wonder. Herc had looked between you and the silent Kruel.

Right about then was when Kruel answered you with a really, really odd comment. "I uh... I don't know." Kruel sounded almost sad. Herc was just about to sock him in the face when Kruel started speaking again. Something told you Herc didn't like not getting to hit stuff. Then again, you'd seen the intelligence in him, and so maybe torture wasn't his thing. Maybe it was just a necessary evil.

"I ain't sure. It's... it's foggy. What was I supposed to do..?" The question was more to himself then to either of you. He was lost. He didn't answer, not even himself. Herc socked him in the face twice, and Kruel responded by spitting blood and a tooth at him. He cursed some, and after about twenty seconds finally calmed down and answered as best he could. "If I was you, and I wanted to talk to Tatiyanna, I'd probably go find Dick."

by **Ac1ds0ld13r** Tue May 05, 2009 4:53 pm

Tyler looked back at Herc and then back to Kruel. "Whats the last thing she had you working on? Between setting me up and now. And if you don't know what she's up to, who the hell do I have to talk to to find out? And when can you set up the meeting?" Tyler was standing up again, he had replaced the canisters on the table with a slight klinking sound.

He studied Kruel and thought. The Nosferatu was still being vague, but it was more a salvation thing at this point. The longer he dragged the interrogation out the longer he had to think of a way out, or call for help somehow. Tyler knew he had to wrap it up soon. He had hoped Dragon would make his way down here, but he guessed his counterpart would have to settle for Tyler's meticulous transcriptions of the conversation. He pulled out his pen and pad and starting writing quickly.

by **Jedi_Master_007** Tue May 05, 2009 3:42 pm

Kruel shook his head rapidly and tried to wave both of his hands. "I didn't. I ain't checked in yet. I check in when it's time to pick me up." Kruel went silent. Herc looked at Tyler with a raised eyebrow. He looked like he was ready to do something painful, but before he did, Kruel continued.

"How the fuck am I supposed to know what the Guardians are doing with all that firepower? What would you do with it? What would you do with it if you were supplying your own personal army? Christ Tyler. What the fuck man?" Kruel groaned. "I really got no idea. This is L.A. Every kindred here is packing enough heat to hold even you down. That's not counting all the assholes who are supplying their own personal armies of street hoods, bodyguards, and that shit."

Herc looked at you. He watched what you were doing with the thing in your hands.

by **Ac1ds0ld13r** Tue May 05, 2009 3:28 pm

Tyler clapped. "See, now we're getting somewhere. So, you said you had 72 hours notice. When was the last time you were called home? And watch your mouth. There's no reason to be uncivil about all of this Guv'." Tyler picked one of the red, round containers he had up and rolled it around in his hands. It swapped his Blood for his own several times while he did it. "More to the point, what the fuck do they need with all of that fire power? And don't tell me its to police the city. A handful of Kindred do not need that much weaponry and people to use it unless they plan on having something done with it."

by **Jedi_Master_007** Mon May 04, 2009 3:34 am

Kruel groaned. He rattled against his bindings. "Fuck. Alright. Alright. I'll play twenty questions." Kruel sat upright as good as he could. He turned his head right in the direction of Herc, which was surprising because he was blindfolded, and couldn't see where the Brujah was. He looked ahead blankly for a minute. "I'm thinking." He said. After nother fifteen seconds or so, he looked up at Tyler, again odd, because he couldn't see. "Fuck. Alright. Anything I had on Tatiyanna is 48 hours old. Tatiyanna is a paranoid bitch, right? Right? She has a system. I come in. I'm given 72 hours. I hit a safehouse that's set in advance when I am ready to come back. I knew how to get in touch with her from a cellphone always left at a drop point when I'm away from her ship."

Herc called bullshit, but your clever eyes didn't see Kruel's tell. Kruel told Herc to fuck off, so Herc stomped on his foot. Kruel growled out and grabbed hold of the chair. He winced again as Herc's heel ground in further. Herc looked at you with a fake fown and shrugged.

"Alright! Fucker! Faggot! Look! It's part of a bigger system of shit. The Midnight Guardians have eyes and ears all over the city. Each one of them has a personal army of ghouls and mortals, ranging from security guards to full mercenaries. I don't know how they do it. I ain't that smart! Fuck!"

Herc released his heel.

by **Ac1ds0ld13r** Sun May 03, 2009 11:30 pm

Tyler frowned and wrote on the pad and handed it to Herc, "He's stalling." They had asked him several questions and he had simply not answered them, instead giving the same retort over and over again. That the questions weren't worth an answer. Tyler shook his head and sighed. "You're not paying attention. I'm asking questions. I want answers to those questions." Tyler recited all the questions that had been. "Now, either you quit stalling, or, I'm going to take three of these stones I've got over here, full of my blood, and sit them in your lap one after the other. Those stones are going to take a bit of your blood and replace it with mine. You know what that does right? I told you, Tremere Reprogramming is a bitch Guv. Now, what the hell has Tatiyanna had you doing? And what did her little plans have to do with me?"

by **Jedi_Master_007** Sat May 02, 2009 2:09 am

You could almost see Kruel's eyes roll even though he's blind folded. "I am cooperating. You're just not asking me anything with an answer that matters, dipshit. Why don't you ask me something interesting, like why Tatiyanna was hiring you to knock off a Lasombra, or why she wanted what was in the Lasombra's possession. I can tell you all about where Tatiyann was, but it won't help you find her now. I can tell you all about the Midnight Guardians all night long, but it isn't anything you don't presumably already know. So I'll say it again. Ask me something interesting, or get on with it already. I'm not going very far."

Kruel didn't scoff. He shrugged, leaning back in his seat as much as he could.

by **Ac1ds0ld13r** Sat May 02, 2009 1:54 am

"I'm not getting that she'll lift a finger to protect me you idiot. I'm getting that she won't lift a finger to hurt me either. Edge and I, well, Guv' we have a thing. We understand each other on a level you can't grasp." The Tremere shifted his weight and grabbing the small propane torch off the table. He didn't light it. "All of you seem to forget, I can lock myself in a fortress it'll take weeks for you to find and months for you to breach... In that time I can comb the entire city and find her and kill her. Dumb ass. I don't have to I don't have to be there for Thaumaturgy to work. I just have to see her. I watch the Guardians long enough that's inevitable Guv." He moved towards Kruel again. "So how about you quit pretending to be tough and start working with me instead of being an abrasive wanker?

by **Jedi_Master_007** Fri May 01, 2009 11:54 pm

"You ain't all that tired because I am still here. My guess is you're the one full of shit, Crown. You seriously think Edge is going to lift a finger to protect you? Ha! All she has to do is nothing! By yourself, you... you're not going to make it to Tatiyanna unless I walk you there. You think you have it all figured out? You think you're so smart? Then why am I still sitting here all bound and blind folded, talking shit?" Kruel's hand didn't twitch, but he did grip the sides of the chair with both hands. He wasn't trying to hide his reactions. More likely he was squaring himself away against a blindside shot to the face he couldn't defend against.

Herc then asked a question, stepping up for the first time. "You said Tyler would have to be taken to Tatiyanna by you. Why? Where?" Herc looked at Tyler with a shrug.

by **Ac1ds0ld13r** Fri May 01, 2009 9:56 pm

Tyler watched Kruel's hands closely then grinned back at Herc. "You know, if I wanted to hurt you I'd just burn you some more. From the looks of your head you got a thing for fire." Then he sighed. "Kruel, I'm tired of you. I've been tired of you. You're full of shit. I know you are, you know you are. Quit trying to scare me with idle threats. Even if they were liable, I still wouldn't give a shit. I know you're full of shit because you got too loose with the names you're throwing around. If you knew shit you'd know me and Edge aren't likely to go to war over you or Tatiyanna anytime soon."

by **Jedi_Master_007** Fri May 01, 2009 9:26 pm

Herc watched you slug Kruel. He winced. Kruel didn't. Instead Kruel spit out some more blood on the ground. "Fuck man. I've known Toreador who hit harder then that. Izzat it?" Kruel snickered when he leaned back. "What the Hell do you think Miss Kozlinski's position with the Midnight Guardians are? They're all Ex-Sabbat. Fuck Tyler, you ain't smart. You're lucky. Tatiyanna's been playing you from the second she learned you were in town. This. Me. Everything you've been doing is just part of a bigger plan to expose your clan. By the time you catch on, you'll have pissed of Dick, Edge, Vincent, and Team NOS. It's not myself or Miss Kozlinski who have anything to worry about. It's you. You should be worried about saving your own skin."

Herc scratched something down on the paper. His handwriting was vastly different then yours. It simply read - Kruel has a tell in his wrist. He likes to wave his hands dismissively when he's lying.

by **Ac1ds0ld13r** Fri May 01, 2009 8:53 pm

"For your sake Guv' you had better pray there's not some sort of device on you. What is she doing with the Midnight Gaurdians? I know she's moving a lot of money around, why? I also know you're her right hand with everything, so do not down play your importance." Tyler hit Kruel straight in the jaw and leaned closer, adjusting the blindfold on him. "I'm smarter than you. I'm smarter than Tatiyanna. I'm smarter than anyone you know, and I'm going to figure out how to get to her. To ruin her. How to drag her through the mud and into the light so everyone can see what she's been up to, and then I'll kill her." Tyler approached Herc, not taking his eyes off of the Nosferatu chained to the chair. "Kruel. You know something I can use. Where is she? Who's her contact in the Gaurdians? Are all of you Sabbat, or just her?"

Tyler looked at Herc and handed him his pen and paper.

by **Jedi_Master_007** Fri May 01, 2009 7:48 pm

Kruel's head lolled backwards when you put the hat on him. He shifted a little and sighed before sitting upright as good as he could. The hat on his head again gave him a certain menace that he lacked without it. His eyes became sharp and defined. He was keenly aware of what was going on and he knew all too well. Still, he dismissed your question with a shrug. "Not long. About ten years or so. I work for Tatiyanna... what reason do you want?" Kruel glanced at Herc who stood by in the background with his hands folded together. For his part, Herc was happy to be the extra muscle who let you do the work. This was your field of expertise, not his.

"I get paid a lot of money? I regularly scare the shit out of kindred and kine alike? It's through Tatiyanna I've built up my own connections? Fuck Tyler, if you're going to do this, at least make it worth my time. I can go back to sleep. You don't really think I'd be captured by you if I wasn't already hung out to dry, or if I had something that could help you damage Tatiyanna do you? I'm a rat in a cage. Wouldn't surprise me if somehow I am planted with a tracking device." Kruel spit some cogulated blood from one of his facial hits on the floor. "What are the odds I'm just the what do you call it... bait?"

Herc looked at you. His expression was serious. Herc seemed to have something to say, but by his expression you weren't sure if it was something Kruel needed to hear.

by **Ac1ds0ld13r** Thu Apr 30, 2009 10:20 pm

Tyler stood there for a moment, shocked, by Kruel's reaction to having the stake removed. He blinked and put the hat on Kruel's head. Somehow it had managed to stick to the Nosferatu's dome up until Tyler had dropped him on the floor.

He looked at Kruel again and studied the Nosferatu for a moment. "I'm going to ask you some questions Kruel. Anything but utter honesty is going to cause you a great deal of pain and misery. Some of which has the potential to last you the rest of your life; which can be either as short or long as your level of cooperation. I've been ordered by my superiors not to kill you. However if I do, it'll be a slap on the wrist punishment, and well worth the satisfaction of watching you turn to ashes. So, that said, how long have you been in Tatiyanna's pocket, and why?"

by **Jedi_Master_007** Thu Apr 30, 2009 2:35 pm

Herc nodded but something told you he wasn't completely convinced. When you thought about it, it made sense. From his point of view, Tyler Crown was a kindred known for being vicious when he felt the urge. Agreeing as easily as you did not to dust Kruel, seemed off key to him. He stepped back though when you unstaked Kruel.

Kruel's reaction was slow. It was very slow. Kruel had the fuck beat out of him. There were a total of five gunshot wounds, plus several nice crushes and bruises. You were a bonafide tough guy, and it would have taken you time. After about three or four minutes, Kruel let out a sigh and a grunt. "Ughlf. Hit like train." His reaction to you, you in particular, not Herc, was a little surprising.

Kruel grunted an acknowledgment of your demands. His left hand waved. It didn't go far due to being strapped in, but it waved all the same. Kruel's ugly burned head rolled to the side. He looked up at you. "Can I have my hat?"

by **Ac1ds0ld13r** Tue Apr 28, 2009 10:04 pm

Tyler nodded once, understanding. He was really starting to like Herc. Anyone that could shoot straight with the Archon was someone he appreciated having around. "Yeah. Got it Gov'." He looked at Kruel then added to Herc, "I can imagine you'll have some questions for him too. Just ask them." Tyler leaned forward, and placed a blindfold over the Nosferatu then grabbed the stake, planted a boot on Kruel's chest and ripped it out.

He then stood back and waited for whatever useless temper tantrum the Nosferatu was about to pull to abate.

"Kruel, you're gonna live through this Guv', if you're not a complete twit and work with me. Don't try to to take the piss out of me or I'll make your life a living hell in ways only a Tremere can do it. As a friend of mine once said, Dominate, Blood Bonds, those are nothing compared to Tremere Reprogramming." He looked at Kruel to make sure he was understood.

by **Jedi_Master_007** Tue Apr 28, 2009 3:26 am

Herc looked at Tyler pretty squarely, watching while the Archon did all of the work. "Tyler, one thing about this. I'm not disagreeing with why you might, but I am disagreeing with your timing if you do... so what I am saying is, you can't kill him now. If you do, Tatiyanna will go to the Guardians and claim you started it. It'll be easy for her to prove while you're clan is holding her childe and that Lasombra." Herc spoke with his eyes, not his muscles. He did put a hand on your shoulder and lean in when he talked, being quiet as to be extra careful Kruel couldn't listen in.

"I'm all for helping you out. As far as I am concerned I'm stuck in this shit the minute you asked me about him. Now that I am here I might as well see it to the finish. I'm not stupid or suicidal though. I'm not going to beef with the Guardians. They are the city's po-po." Herc tried to sound convincing.

by **Ac1ds0ld13r** Mon Apr 27, 2009 11:10 am

Tyler withdrew from the room and motioned that Herc should follow him. Once they were out of earshot Tyler lead him down a narrow flight of stairs that in tight landings to the basement. There were liquor bottles, wines, champagnes, and cigars down here. This is where the exclusive club kept its reserves for its most prestigious guests, those elites who carried the Midnight Passcard. That club was invitation only, Tyler was not even a member, not that he really wanted to be. The Midnight Passcard was strictly for mortals.

At the bottom of the stairs he lead the Brujah to the right and through a barred steel door, to where he had stored Kruel. This room was all faded blue tile with a few shower heads and a drain. At one point it had belonged to a gym that had been attached to the building. An earthquake years ago had caused the need for some peculiar building arrangements, and Midnight Neon had inherited these derelict showers as part of its structure. Raw I beams ran across the ceiling and through the wall, reinforcing the structure against future damage and holding the entire building up. Kruel had been propped up in a steel chair, a souvenir from when California condoned the electric chair. This one's leather straps had been replaced by steel loops. The lops were at the thigh, ankles, forearms, wrists, neck and chest. The idea was that it didn't matter who was stuck in the chair, they couldn't build enough leverage to break out. They would have to be very, very potent. The straps were just over a quarter inch thick steel. Tyler had a simple plate next to him with different utensils on them. Some were very mundane like a stake, pliers, knife, others were more esoteric and were in fact ritual components in some of the nastier Rituals Tyler could bring to bear.

Tyler strapped Kruel in careful not to dislodge the stake, then looked at Herc, "You ready? I bet he screams. They usually do at this point." The grim expression on Tyler's face plainly showed the Warlock took no pleasure in this.

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