Legacy of Blood (Free Spirit and Baroness Blood)

[BWS2K]

The hands currently wrapped around Cathy Webster's neck needed a good manicure. An odd observation to make, perhaps, but one she made all the same. The fingernails - claws, really, at this point - were easily over an inch long and caked with dirt. At least I hope that's dirt... It was a passing thought, followed quickly by a grimace after smelling the horrible breath of the creature presently wrestling with her. It was dangerously close. She'd kept it at arms' length so far, but the fangs, the claws, the pale skin and tattered clothes... Yeah, this is definitely a vampire. Cathy wasn't sure if she could best this assailant. Her strength and training, for what it was, had never been tested against the supernatural. And, unlike her mentor, she had not a single weapon on her. Gotta see about getting one of those fancy shields... She dropped and twisted, throwing the vampire off balance and sending it barreling clumsily past her. An amateur move but it gave her a moment to consider other options. Like running away. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to call this a draw?" she asked through heavy breaths. "Retire for the evening?" The creature merely snarled and lunged once more. "I'll take that as a maybe...!" Cathy sprung into the air and vaulted over the attack, landing in a handstand that turned to a roll and brought her up opposite the vampire so that they had done little more than exchange places, albeit now with a little more distance between them. Okay, Cathy, fancy moves... but now what? Thinking back, it had all begun during her evening patrol of Coney Island. She'd taken up residence there recently and decided it was time to do more than wait for calls to action. Those were few enough as it was these days, what with Cap's hotline being nearly a thing of the past. The occasional report would come through, fed into her earpiece or forwarded to her phone, but it was rarely this... exciting. Which was perfectly okay with her. Cliché as it seemed, it was the sound of some rattled garbage cans that first caught her attention. What could've been muffled screams and a struggle was cut short as she veered from her route to investigate. Streetlights were usually enough for her to see by but the nearest one flickered unreliably, and that distraction was all the undead minion had needed to spring from its hiding place in the shadows. They'd been at this for almost twenty minutes now, grappling, trading glancing blows, posturing. It wasn't about endurance - Cathy could do this for hours, if needed. No, she needed to capture this creature. There were questions to ask, people to notify. Back in the present, the two circled each other warily. "Hey," she taunted, "...are we gonna do this all night? I'm sure we'd both like to be in bed before sun-up..." The vampire merely growled some more and leapt onto the side of the nearest building. It was fast, and its voice echoed through the empty street as it climbed up the brickwork and out of sight: "Your blood smells sweet, child," it hissed from what seemed like all directions. "My mistress will enjoy hunting you...!" Cathy stood up straight, searching the darkness in vain, as the streetlight continued to blink intermittently. Well, that doesn't sound good...

[BWS2K]

There was typically no need for spoken words between Baroness Blood and her minions. She rarely assigned more complex tasks than 'turn this person' or 'guard me', and the body language of failure was an easy read. The empathic mind control helped too. So it was, when her thrall returned from his hunting early and shared news of his encounter with a young woman whose blood smelled quite deliciously distinct from any others, that she uttered a single phrase aloud in the cavernous chamber that served as a throne room in her underground lair: "How interesting!" Rising from her place, she began to pace slowly. The Baroness had only just recently arrived here in the New World with the goal of re-establishing her undead empire. Her last cult following had been tragically destroyed to the very last - and it really was tragic, even if it was by my own hand - and that was as good a time as any to relocate. The carving out of a complex beneath Coney Island, accessed through several sewer passages, was progressing steadily. Now news had certainly reached her of unique individuals - she'd already met some, in fact - who possessed curious powers and abilities. Such things held little interest for her, but as for the blood that fueled them... A savory treat indeed, and this continent is practically crawling with these people! It was nearly sunrise and so her underlings had all returned by the time the Baroness Lily Cromwell had decided to take a closer look into this special young woman traipsing about her domain. Walking up and down the strip, she spent hours just watching and observing the sheep. They were so clueless to the horrors that lay just meters beneath their feet - and in their very midst! What must it be like to live such a noisy vapid life? Baroness Blood’s mortal life had been fairly rural and several decades ago, but even now, as a predator among prey, she couldn’t imagine such an existence would be anything more than supremely irritating. She adjusted her sunglasses and turned the corner… There. A young woman who she’d seen at least three times now, jogging rapidly along the sidewalk. Yes, it was certainly the same person. In order for that to be true, however, she must possess remarkable stamina - jogging for nearly two hours now and barely breaking a sweat! This could be the person her thrall had battled last night but the Baroness would need to be certain before pouncing. And not in broad daylight like this. She watched the blonde ponytail bounce and sway from side to side and then ducked into a small alleyway. Transforming into a common bat at the speed of thought, Baroness Lily Cromwell then followed her mark from the air. The flapping was rather monotonous and it wasn’t her preferred mode of travel but a cloud of fog or wolf would almost certainly catch more notice. It was at least another hour before the young woman completed her exercise circuit and returned home to a modest apartment building. Baroness Blood took note of the location and then returned to her lair. Since stealth was less a necessity now, she used her wolf form. Panting, feet padding across the pavement, leaping over fences and hedges, weaving through afternoon foot traffic - it was a welcome opportunity to let loose and truly sink into hunter mode. Enjoy your day, my darling, for it shall be your last!