The Number of the Beast

Rose was just as lethal as she was before, it had been a couple of days since You had discovered Your riches, but Diana had been keeping her distance since then, when she stopped by it was only for a couple of minutes to get You to sign a couple of documents, She even got You a New Phone, but since then she had been contacting You by Text exclusively "Focus!" Rose growled, her Elbow slamming into Your guts like a sledgehammer... for the last couple of days, she'd been kicking all kinds of ass, wiping the floor with You, but You were nothing if not a quick study, brushing away Her lingering elbow, You swiftly swung your fist in an Arc landing a hard and direct blow into Her rib cage, Rosaria skidded back on her heels from the **** while You tensed up, staying stood despite the cracking pain in Your insides, Rose smirked as she stood straight "congratulations, You're making progress, I thought that You'd take longer to counter such a powerful hit." You smiled weakly, coughing up black blood as You felt Your intestine regenerated "Y-Yay..." You managed to mumble, despite every muscle in Your Body feeling like it was jackhammered "Vampire's like to hit hard and fast, withstanding heavy hits like that and countering are paramount in Battle." nodding You clenched Your stomach "So what's next, more sparring?" You asked as little afraid to hear a yes "No, we are going to work on Your speed and Misting."

Grabbing Your long coat and Hat, You and Rose took to the night, rushing after Her rapid dash until everything around the two of You were a blur in the darkness. Things started on the far west part of the city, it filled with life, many of the poorer residents of Wallace City lived in the West, while the more high end lived in the East, the Two of You perched on a high rooftop, You peered down at people, their beating hearts almost making You salivate "Don't look at them." Rose said, pulling You out of Your trance, "Don't see them, don't smell them, do not hear them, our world is up here on these rooftops out of sight, remember what I told You about down there?" You nodded, smiling "down there it's their time, but up it's our time, it's out time up here..." Rose looked at You funny "Goonies?" She looked even funnier "YOU HAVEN'T SEEN GOONIES!?"

"I suppose that is close enough, now listen to me carefully, How long do You think it takes me to cross this city?" You raised an eyebrow "What, like from one side to the other? at Our speed, maybe 4 or 5 hours, less?" Rose scoffed "One. One hour."

"Bullshit, that's like 300 miles per hour!" She nodded "Valerica is stronger, I am faster."

"You want me to cross the city rooftops at 300 miles per hour?" Rose nodded again "I never took You for a coward." wow "Are You gas-lighting me!?" Rose smirked "Maybe." You bit Your lip, springing to Your feet and stretching out, Rose stood also, casually zipping up her coat and looking at You expectantly "We run to the edge of the woods and back, You pass when You can beat me here." You nodded, doing a few test steps to focus Your strength into Your legs "Game on."

The two of Your crouched in anticipation "On 3." You felt yourself flowing with power, body shimmering in the cool night air, mind sharp and ready for flight "1." The Beast chuckled within, his strength bolstering Your resolve "2." Thighs bursting, knees locked, calves primes, feet light You were ready to fucking bounce "3!"

Like a cannonball You fired off through space, Your form rocketing along with such speed that You could hear the air crack like a whip, Rose had shot off a millisecond before, her strong body dashing like a bullet across several buildings in less than a few seconds, pushing against the wind's resistance You landed lightly on another building, Your foot kicking against the concrete to send You into another mindbogglingly bound in order to catch up.

YYYEEEEEEEEEEAAAHHHHHHHH The beast cried with joy at the pure, hosting the great swift traversal of the buildings that acted as stepping stones to You bolting Grace,

NIGHT WAS BLACK, WAS NO USE HOLDING BACK, 'CAUSE I JUST HAD TO SEE WAS SOMEONE WATCHING ME!

Bounding through the city-scape, the two of You began to dance among the structure, somersaulting and spinning through rails, Water towers, and electrical lines, just touching the edge of the living light bellow.

IN THE MIST, DARK FIGURES MOVE AND TWIST, WAS ALL THIS FOR REAL OR JUST SOME KIND OF HELL!

Clawing along the high blur, Rose kept her effortless pace, flowing through the night so naturally that no attempt to overtake her did a single thing to elevate Your already devastating pace.

6 6 6 THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST! HELL AND FIRE WAS BORN TO BE RELEASED!

"Will You stop singing, I'm trying to concentrate!"

TORCHES BLAZED AND SACRED CHANTS WERE PRAISED, AS THEY START TO CRY, HANDS HELD TO THE SKY, IN THE NIGHT THE FIRES ARE BURNING BRIGHT, THE RITUAL HAS BEGUN, SATAN'S WORK IS DONE!! HAHAHAHAHA!

"Oh for crying out loud..."

With the Beast's makeshift Iron Maiden guitar solo ringing in Your mind, the maelstrom of his insane flame only continued to push You harder through the jungle of stone and Light that was the City of Wallace, Rose's nimble shadow vanishing ahead.

Cleo had been lying face down in Her pillow for a couple of days, not even getting up to feed herself, though the blonde receptionist man did look very appetising. She simply didn't know what to do, everything was a void without her love, no purpose, no happiness, no drive, She was simply a broken abyss of nothing without Hawkins to smile for her.

Every so often, however, a little thought would pop into her mind, a reminder that the man that Hawkins had chosen as his replacement was also his killer... "Charles Drake." She mumbled her voice muffled by the pillow, Every time that man's face came to mind she wanted to run to him and beg for help, to beg him to smile for her and fix her broken mind, but she just couldn't, how could she look him in the eye when He murdered Hawkins? For now, she would just have to remain there, until something happened, just anything but that.

"Cleo?" She didn't move, even when she noticed Muninn enter through the hotel room window, "Cleo, can You hear me?" Cleo groaned as Muninn poked her shoulder, She didn't respond even as Muninn carefully turned her around so that she could look her in the eyes, Muninn's pretty face was wrought with worry as Cleo stared with half-open eyes "Oh my God, You look terrible." Cleo blinked "Thanks." Muninn crouched by Cleo "When was the last time that You fed?" Cleo didn't know what to say, she wasn't sure what to do, she merely stared "I-I'm sorry about Hawkins, He was a strong." Cleo's eye twitched "I... I don't know what to do." Muninn winced at the pain in Cleo's eyes "You've been here this whole time, I've been trying to track You down for ages, I thought you might be with Charlie-" Cleo cringed at the mention of his name, "Don't talk to me about him." Muninn frowned "You need someone to help You right? to smile for You, if You don't want to go to... him, then You can come back with me, a lot of the Gerix are worried about You." Muninn seemed sincere, however, Cleo hated the Gerix and the memory of Corvus even more than she did Charles "N-No... I'm not going back to that damn hotel." the Blonde folded her arms "You have to do something, Cleo, You can't just stay here and starve to ****!" Cleo never hated the Reid twins, they were victims of Corvus just as much as she was, and the capacity for care that this woman showed, even as a vampire, was astounding "What would You have me do?" Cleo said in her crestfallen tone, "Go out there, hunt, feed Yourself. I know that Charlie killed Hawkins..." Cleo gritted her teeth "...But Hawkins knew what would happen, he died the **** that He wanted from the beginning and made Charlie promise to look after You, Go to him, He is a better man than most vampires could even imagine being." Cleo rubbed her eyes, the bones in her arms creaking from misuse, She played it over in her mind, as much as she hated him, Muninn was right, she couldn't just wait to die in a shitty hotel room.

"Fine. help me up." Muninn smiled, helping pick up Cleo's frail form brushing one of her messy hairs away from her face "I promise Cleo, You won't regret this." Both of their heads cocked suddenly as their ears picked up a sound, the boom of racing bodies running through the city only a block away, the accompanying scent was even more intriguing, the two distinct bodies being instantly recognizable "it was him... and the Inquisitor." Cleo whispered, Muninn stood in amazement "He's so fast!" She looked at Cleo "He's powerful Cleo, He can protect You, here sit down, I'll find You some lunch, any requests?" Cleo felt her fingers trembling, How strong was this Superior anyway, He killed two Master-Blooded Vampires like they were nothing and now he's keeping pace with an Inquisitor!? He could do more than protect her, but with his power, She could hitch on to someone who would be a Pillar of Vampire society "The Receptions, the Pretty Blonde Boy, I need my strength if I am to keep up with those two." Muninn grinned, her fangs extending "That's My Cleo."

The Beast had stopped singing, every single muscle in Your body felt like jello, so much so that as You took the last jump over the roof where You and Rose had started, Your entire body went limp as You proceeded to face plant into the hard concrete. Rose was sat just next to where You had landed, carefully tending to her claws with a file as She raised an eyebrow at You, She had vanished about halfway on the way back to the West side of the city, the very same point where Your body began to succumb to major exhaustion "Do You know how long I've been sitting here for?" She asked in a very bored tone "n'nho..." You said in a grumble, the words broken by Your face being pressed into the ground and Your nose being tremendously broken "52 minutes." Rose reached over, flipping You on Your front which harshly disturbed the muscle pain in Your back, "Sho I faiwuled?" You gritted Your teethed as Your nose snapped very suddenly back in place "Ow..." Rose nodded "You did well enough for Your first time, come on get up." You winced at the deep ache in Your body, though it was very slowly dissipation, It occurred to You that Rose hadn't really spoken about the whole Dating situation yet, "Hey..." You said approaching her and touching her waist, immediately making her eyes flood with red and face redden "How about tomorrow we put off training and go to the fair in town?" Rose looked up into Your eyes, like always she didn't push You away but she did seem a little uncomfortable, You cringed backing off a bit "Too strong?" She shook her head "No, no I just... this is part of Your courting?" You smiled nodding at her fumbling "I haven't been to a fair before, will there be a lot of Humans there?"

"Yeah probably." She folded her arms "Won't You have trouble focusing?" You smiled again "Not if I'm focusing on You." She huffed, rolling her eyes and waving You off, clearly not enjoying the fact that You were absorbing her adorableness "F-Fine. Come on I want us to walk through the city on the way home, You need to start building up a resistance to Your hunger." Despite being miffed that even after all that running You now had to struggle further... but at the same, at least You would be spending time with Rose.

Walking through the active city streets in Your weakened state was difficult, to say the least, Your mind, melting in the miasma of blood, sweat, and beating hearts, containing the Beast was paramount to everything "T-This is getting very difficult..." You mumbled, spotting a particularly tasty looking pair of Japanese girls pass "Most Vampires would have crumbled by now Charlie, many cannot find a good way to distract themselves, but I think that You may have an easier time." You scoffed, gritting Your teeth as a Blonde in a tube top winked at You, her veins flowing with sweet nectar "You are Young, You remember what Humanity feels like?" You nodded, trying to ignore the curvy goth lady that eyed You as You passed "Yes, I remember, whatever Your point is I suggest that You make it quickly"

SWEET CAULDRON OF HEAVENLY NECTAR, OUR FEEDING GROUND IS RICH WITH BLOOD!

Rose saw that You were cracking, "Humans value each other, even on a basic level, think on what You will be taking away from this world if You were to kill these Humans, think on the raging monster that slits their throats and drinks their blood, is that the path that You truly wish to take?" You paused, "These are people.... with families, children, history, and I just want to wipe them away, how could I forget about something like that!?" Shaking Your head and steeling Your mind, Your hands clenched into fists as You tried to focus on just how You saw these people

BLOOD BAGS, A WALKING FEAST

"Just normal people, mothers, fathers, sons, and daughter, would I take them away like Valerica took away My father?"

THAT IS DIFFERENT! WE MUST FEAST TO LIVE!

"We Feast on the deserving, not these innocent people, understand? Now go to Sleep,"

NO! So MuCh tO DrInK!

"I will not have You rampaging around, You're going to make us just as bad as her, now sleep!"

NoT LiKE VaLERiCa... Never like Valerica...

"Just rest, I will call You when I need You."

You smirked a little, feeling the Monster relax, Rose raised an eyebrow but You continued to walk, suddenly... these people seemed a lot more like people, sure they still smelt divine and You still wanted to eat them, but there was restraint now, they weren't just things to fed off of, they had faces and names, some had particular walks, some seemed nice, some rude, it was like the value of Life had been reinstalled in Your mind "You seem more controlled?" Rose inquired "I still wanna kill and eat them, I just see them as people now, it's enough I guess."

"With practice You will be able to suppress all three stages of blood Hunger, ignoring the call of lower quality blood entirely and making exposure to high palate Blood bearable." things were relatively peaceful on the way back, You and Rose continued on and though she was quiet, most likely due to still being a little embarrassed.

Eventually, the two of You got back to the Ruined manor, it had been pretty uneventful in fact... You tensed, turning as the sudden sensing of people behind You, Rose followed suit, the both of You prepared to kill whoever was coming, but when You turned, Rose stood down, but You just stared in confusion at the Two very surprising people about a meter away.

You recognized both Women, the First being Cleo, she wore all black, including a hoodie with the hood up, her short black hairs laying gently across her pretty pale face, in Her arms, she held a very scared looking woman, with pristine olive skin, long beautiful brown hair and wrapped herself in an expensive mink coat, Belle Harlow was sobbing, her cheeks stained with running eye shadow "Cleo? Belle? what's going on?" You gestured for Rose to keep her distance as You approached the two of them, Cleo pushed Belle forward, making You rush to catch her in Your arms "She was following You, has been for a little while by the looks of her apartment." Belle was shaking, filled with Terror even as Cleo went to walk away "Cleo wait." She paused, looking back at You with a scowl before vanishing back into the night.

Belle had passed out, She looked a little roughed up... and she smelt delicious, Shaking Your head You picked Her up and began to walk towards the Cave "She is the one You first fed of off?" You nodded, "Open the door for me, I'm going to take care of her." Rose raised an eyebrow "You're going to take care of a Human, are You sure that is wise?" Looking down at her beautiful face, You felt oddly compelled to Help her, she looked so weak and bruised "Just open the door." Rose shrugged, punching in the code and opening the doors, allowing You to descend into the darkness, Belle Harlow in hand.