2018.10.25: Shadows of the Past - Pt.6 - Bolthole

Shadows of the Past
Pt.6 - A Bolthole
IC Date	October 25, 1018
IC Time	Night
Players	Heathen, Madeline, Martha, Mikael
Location	Prospect Harbor District
Spheres	Vampire Camarilla

Mikael brought the large Knight XV around so they could go to the location of the old repair shop that Madeline had the vision about, and that Heathen remembered. They find themselves about a block or so away from Club Extacy, down in the Harbor District.

Here in the rundown section of town, buildings seem to be far older, dating back to the early 1800's. Their cracked and crusted surfaces tell the tale signs of old age, wear and tear on the ancient structures. The streets within the area have also seen better days as the cement is cracked and caked with dirt, oil stains and grime in many areas from parked used cars sitting there on the side of the streets for God knows how long.

Trash lies strewn about the gutters as cigarette butts fill within and around the sidewalks. There's a heavy drag of despair and hopelessness that seems to fill the 'air' within the area, simply lingering about like a second pungent wind. Definitely not a place for the faint of heart as one that doesn't seem to know their way around these parts could tend to find 'trouble' all too quickly.

On the lot there is still a partial building that the radiator shop was attached to, but that actual shop was bulldozed to the ground. The parking lot has trash and such on it, and overgrown grass, etc.

Madeline is a lovely young blonde, about 22 years old with the graceful body of a dancer. She stands about 5'6" and her blue eyes sparkle with energy as her quick smile warms the room around her. Tonight her hair is done in a thick golden braid down her back, a few wisps of blonde hair escaping to frame her angelic face. Tonight she wears butter soft leather pants tucked into lace up boots with a sturdy heel adding several inches to her height. A burgundy blouse shows a hint of color beneath a very stylish leather jacket. No she'll never really fit in as a biker chick but damn she looks good trying.

Heathen leads the way. He's not sure if Madeline is familiar with the place from /before/, but he could find his way blindfolded. Even if it is just a big empty building falling apart, the underground area where the card games were held, and loosers unable to pay.. well, they paid. Also the secondary office where Patty would sleep the day away. He's back to his old mode of dress, things that could be found at the local goodwill.

Madeline would never be here if not for a very good reason, nor would she dress thus unless she expected trouble. She has her senses alert to any movement or sound as she follows Heathen.

Martha nods as they go to the place, she seems familiar with this area, there is a look to the place they are heading with a bit of a look to the others as she takes in they area with a more careful look about.

Mikael still has his special armor on underneath the old loose pants, t-shirt and hoodie he has on. His clothing also looks as if he had stopped at Goodwill on the way. He glances around the area, heightening his senses, and keeping a hand in his pocket. He looks to Heathen, "Do you remember where the entrance was to the underground area?"

Madeline glances about "what is your plan here mon ami?" she asks quietly

Heathen gives Mikael a nod. "Yeah, I deliberately kept myself in the dark as much as possible, but between Abe, Patty, and myself.. I think I was the brains of the operation." and he kicks a shelf aside. "Which may have contributed to why I was treated so well. But I never did have a key." He kicks some sheet metal out of the way from where the underground section would be 'safe' from the bulldozer. "Plan? Have I ever had a plan?"

Martha is not a talker, as to clothing, Jeans, a snarky t-shirt, biking boots, slightly scuffed, and a older over sized leather jacket. She moves like she well owns the area, screams fuck me, or dangerous depending the person looking at her, she moves to pull out some Lock picks, "I am ok at this, anyone better at this?" her voice more then soft, not meant to carry.

When Heathen pulls that piece of metal out of the way they realize that it was placed there purposefully. They will notice a cleaner area underneath it compared to the rest of the lot, where no grass is growing. Closer inspection shows the faint outline of a trap door hidden there. There is no visible ring, handle or pull on it however, but they notice a tiny hole that is similar to that of an underground water meter or man hole."

Martha looks to Heathen, then sighs, "Well old haunts." with a more careful look over it to figure out well how to get it open. The clean though is something she just gestures at with a bit more of a frown, then another look to Heathen.

Heathen looks at the debris with a frown, pulling out a sword hilt from the inside of his jacket, gripping it tightly, glancing toward an area where the grass is only recently starting to grow over what was a shallow grave, taking an unnecessary breath. "Damn, hope it's not somebody I knew."

Mikael is keeping an eye on the area for the three Kindred, making certain that they don't have anyone walk up on them. As he notices Heathen looking at the ground he asks, "Did they often bury bodies here?"

Madeline keeps an eye around the area then steps over "what is it?"

Martha hmms and looks to Heathen, "Should we open it, or thinking more of the other spot?" she is trying not to step on his toes, but is more than curious about the trap door, and the spot of newer growth.

Heathen shakes his head. "No, no. The other spot's for bodies. It's a secondary exit for.. nefarious things. Like whupping or eating losers at the poker game that couldn't pay. I can pry it open, I think."

Madeline tips her head "Do you wish me to explore within before we do such?" wanting to be helpful.

Mikael nods his head, and goes back to watching the area quietly, letting them decide their next move.

Martha smiles, "Crow Bar, and slim jim." pulling a smaller version of each, "Pry bar more like it, let's give it a go, why not." looking about then looking around the area for something to use like that.

Heathen looks toward Madeline. "Astrally make sure not something waiting inside? Door obviously covered from this side, so.. hopefully not much."

Madeline nods to Heathen, clearly not seeing anything around and turns to Mikael "Cher, would you watch over me a moment?"

Mikael gives a solemn nod to Madeline. "Oui, I will." He steps over to stand beside Madeline.

Madeline takes Mikael's arm and wraps it about her waist with a warning not to drop her then she closes her eyes in concentration and with a sigh, her body slumps against the young man

Mikael is right there to wrap his arms around Madeline's slumped body. He watches the other two as his senses flair with the useage of the Auspex.

Martha watches Madeline slump against Mikael, then looks about to see where Madeline went, she is not really that Normal, and how she grins now, "Cannot do that one yet."

Heathen grips the hilt and a blade that seems to simply suck in all light and life around it snaps into being. It bears a remarkable resemblance to the one that Arya recently used to execute a ne'er do well and keeps up guard. "The 'physically helpless' part creeps me out." of course, he'll do his best to make sure nobody lets her come to harm.

Martha draws her blade just in case, she looks well relaxed over all, and alert. Her is a short sword, and well it was down the six foot woman's back hidden under the jacket and her hair. Her blade is clean, simple with some odd etchings down the blade.

Heathen looks around the lot a moment.. "Brings back memories. Frolicking naked around a fire..."

The body in Mikael's arms suddenly gasps and clutches at his arms to regain her balance, eyes fluttering open as Madeline returns to herself.

Mikael steadies Madeline as she animates, his eyes widening a bit. "I have you, mon amie. You are safe."

Heathen keeps an eye out, giving Madeline a moment to collect herself. "Coast clear, but do we need to clear it?"

Madeline carefully gets her feet beneath her and stays close to Mikael another moment or two as she orients "oui, it is not booby trapped cher, but pitch black. It has tunnels the go both left and right, with doors at the end. Somehow.. they were warded to prevent me proceeding further."

Martha waits to hear what she has to say, just watching the area, with a side glance to the others.

Mikael keeps holding onto Madeline until he is certain she has her wits completely back to her. He glances over to Heathen at her words. "Is that something you remember?"

Madeline nods to Mikael and gently steps away "merci cher" she says quietly, brushing a hand across her hair and drawing the thick braid forward across her shoulder.

Heathen looks toward Martha, shaking his head a little. "I think someone added to it, definitely no wards before. Pick the lock, or hack it?"

Martha sighs, "Well that is going to make it fun, wards, something to trigger, or counter." with a slow shake of her head, "I can see Thaumaturgy, blood magic, and identify it, but I cannot undo it."

Madeline returns to watching the area as the others talk, she is no mage.

Heathen looks around the trio. "I'd appreciate if word of this not get around... " and silence matches the darkness for a moment before black blade strikes lock. Apparently, some Assamite took a liking to him at some point.

Martha sighs and moves to concentrate then shakes her head and looks about seeing well more then before, "Getting it on, fun times this will be."

Heathen uses the shadow sword as a pry bar, trusting Mikael and Madeline to be able to speak to him telepathically if needed.

Mikael continues to watch the area even more carefully as they work at the hatch, and yes that telepathic link is open to Heathen.

Madeline assists with the hatch if needed and turning on the crimson glow in her eyes she slips down into the hole

Martha helps as needed to get it open, carefully looking at things before moving along. Sword comfortable in hand, as she would move with them to head down.

Heathen drops down the hatch when he's the last one, letting it slam closed quietly before dispelling the silence. In opposition to Madeline's glowing eyes, his own pitch black, eating the light around them.

Mikael moves quietly behind the three, his hand going back to his pocket as his eyes adjust enough to at least not run into the wall.

Martha is moving a tad slow her eyes moving to scan for things not seen by most, her vision not as good at the other two kindred, but better then most peoples in this darkness. There is a pause and soft, "Slow down need to look over something ahead."

The group find themselves in a silent, cold tunnel that smells of dust, mildew and rodent droppings. It would seem completely abandoned if it wasn't for the fact that there is little sign of dust. Each door is made out of dark metal, and the locks are not electric.

Madeline pauses and lets Martha do what she must, ready to defend anyone of the party should trouble pounce

Heathen takes up a position where Mikael and Martha are between himself and Madeline. Either of them can take a hit or two while she checks things magically. "We got this."

Martha hmms, "I do not recognized the ritual, it is like hodge podge, like ward against the unseen but not. Ghosts, spirits, astral, anything really incorporeal." looking about, "We should be ok, but it might mess with fetish items if you have any."

Mikael frowns at Martha's words. "Is it on the door itself or the entrance way? I have on enchanted armor, Mademoiselle, and weaponry."

Madeline tips her head curiously, which is really odd with her eyes glowing like crimson flames.

Martha says, “It might mess with items that have spirits in it, not enchanted items." moving to mark out the effect parts and where it ends and begins with her hand, "From there to there, and there to there.” Martha says, “On the door."

Heathen looks at the indicated spots.."Can you counter it? Or just erase it?"

Mikael nods his head, and seems to relax as he moves to the side, watching around them for anything that might come down that ladder or even pop out of the walls.

Martha says, “We open the door, not on the frame, on the metal door, if they had put it on the frame...man. Hacks."”

Heathen ooohhs. And reaches out to take the zap if the knob is wired...

Madeline says, “Heathen.. what could they be protecting?”

The door doesn't seem to be wired, but it doesn't open for Heathen.

Heathen shrugs. "Drugs, booze, weapons, blood dolls..."

Martha looks at the door with more care, also checks if it is locked or just needs allot of strength.

Mikael gives Heathen a frown. "They would leave people underground here, locked away?"

Martha gets her kit out and sighs, "I will try but I am trained to keep people out, not break in, some basic lock smithing, not a thief." as she try's being it is an older lock.

Heathen shoulders the door

"Shit, Mother fucking gad damn..." as the sound of the pick snapping is heard and she stands up kicking the door, "Godammit"

Madeline smiles gently "Well.. when all else fails, brute force?

Heathen leans back, and lunges forward, leaving the door a twisted wreck of metal in his wake.

Martha smiles as Heathen kills the door, "Cheap foreign shit." then to Madeline, "but damn that is manly hot there watching him kick it down."

And the silence is shattered when Heathen tears through the metal door. They discover that there is an echoing effect in that tunnel, and as the noise dies down they become aware of another sound, a deep growling noise from somewhere in the darkness beyond the destroyed door. Those with heightened senses or just really good hearing can detect it at a bit of distance from them, but they are definitely not alone down there.

Mikael mutters softly, "You made enough noise to wake the dead, mon ami."

Martha says, “Guy we have some sort of animal, eyes about waist height on me, so large, angry...red eyes. It might be a Gangrel too”

Rushing towards them, out of the darkness they can make out what was once a dog. Probably. The flesh has been removed from his muzzle, leaving only bone, fangs hang from its mouth, and a spiked collar is around it's throat. Bone spurs rise along it's backbone, and its tail is only bone ending in what looks like a scorpion's tip. It lunges towards them growling and snarling as it's territory has been breached. https://d.facdn.net/art/suika-x/1399373594/1399373594.suika-x_hell_hound_by_suika_x-d5slq53.png

As the battle is joined, Madeline's lovely form shudders and suddenly, horribly transforms into a monster of nightmare, flesh and shadow like some vengeful demon with 4 tentacles reaching out for the beast.

Heathen lashes out with the viciousness of the abyss behind the blade, as he and Martha leave little left for the new shadow monster to finish off.

Mikael starts to move, but then freezes as the Kindred surge forward in a wall of action. His eyes go around the room to see if there is anything else coming at them.

Martha slashes at the creature but she has to be careful of the others about her so not the strongest hit, then she senses Maddie and her monster form, and she has to steel her self not to turn and look, or well back off from Maddie in that form.

Yelps of intense pain rip through the room then as the animal literally runs into swords and tentacles, and is skewered savagely, its innards tumbling out in dark streams of stinking blood and goo. Death throes are fast approaching as it can't heal the amount of damage the three Kindred just dealt to it. But the legs continue to kick, the mouth continues to snarl even through the whines of pain.

Heathen ignores what's left of the dieing animal, moving into a position to defend the three ladies behind him in case there are more.

Martha does not ignore the dying Animal, she puts it out of it misery. There is a bit of a sad look as she does, but never will she leave something wounded behind them.

If Martha hadn't, Mikael would have. He gives the animal a look of pity, wondering if it was once someone's pet.

The surging monster that used to be a lovely toreador steps forward, tentacles reaching into the darkness as Heathen looks around. If and when it is deemed safe, the shadows pull almost painfully away and meld themselves back into the corners, leaving the beautiful Elder once again as you always know her.

Heathen glances back toward the others when nothing further comes forward. "Well, someone is going to be back to feed that shortly."

Mikael gives Madeline a look of respect and perhaps a bit of nervousness as he nods to her.

Martha nods, "So snag it all, or destory it, or let it be and watch...your call the dog was allot of work someone will be pissed." trying not to stare at Maddie now.

Madeline brushes a hand across her hair as if nothing happened and looks to the others "If there is anything you wish examined, pray do not touch it with bare hands" she glances at Mikael and Martha

Heathen looks around, giving Martha a grin, "If they come back tonight, we can be waiting at the bottom of that entrance."

Martha nods, "Well I can help there Madeline, I can also do the spirit touch." in a softer voice, "I have gloves."

Madeline nods to Martha "Merci Madame Scourge, I certainly do not mean to suggest I am the only one thusly gifted in the city"

Mikael finds a drop-cloth and drops it over the now dead animal. "So do we set a trap? It might need tending only once a month."

Heathen reaches over to flip on a light switch for Martha and Mikael's sake.

Martha barely gets her eyes closed in time, cause well sudden changes are never fun.

Madeline quickly closes her eyes upon seeing Heathen reach for the switch. After a moment she reopens them and they are sapphire blue again. "I am not skilled with traps"

The room around them looks to be both a sleeping quarters and a supply room. Bunks against the walls, with a bookcase and a table and chairs. It also has piles of metal ammunition boxes, rifle cases, and other military quality equipment stacked up in the corner. https://i.ytimg.com/vi/hSZ8Mf89OBY/hqdefault.jpg http://media.nj.com/bergen_impact/photo/11323053-large.jpg

Martha sighs, "Well that answers that." shaking her head, "They do have a bolt hole in the city here."

Madeline sighs as she looks about, disappointed these monsters are still so present in the city. "indeed"

Mikael moves around the room, checking out the supplies there. "Was this the only place they use to have?" He looks at Heathen, and then rubs his arms as he realizes that this was in the Harbor area just north of B&B all this time.

Madeline shakes her head "There is another door down the side branch of the tunnel mon ami"

Martha says, “I would have a few in the region, one out skirts, this, and maybe another between, but that is me.”

Heathen looks over some of the books and weapons. "We can have Sharpe confiscate this junk in the morning. If they don't show up, he can also set an explosive designed to contain them. Use their own door I tore up to stop them from misting out before we reach them."

Martha nods, "That works, need to see if possible where all the tunnels go to.

They will find on examining the entire room that an area at the back is obviously for the animal. It has a large dog bed, and an automatic feeder that could probably easily hold 10 pounds or more of dog food. But if they noticed, the animal was thin, and there doesn't appear to be any personal items in the bunker that can be found.

Martha says, “This is a crash pad, a thru fare for in and out, not where they live."

Heathen looks over the feeder, and how much is left in the feeder before moving on to check the other tunnels. "Yeah, they'd have already been caught otherwise."

Mikael says, “Then this is not their main headquarters? It would make sense, since it was once Sabbat territory. It would be noticeable if there was a lot of activity in this area."

Martha nods, "Yup, smugglers have bolt holes passes, and other things."

Heathen heads toward the other hall to see what else lies in wait down here

Martha moves to Heathen, "This more then we thought, and we will have to clean it up. Also past exploring here for leads we might want a team for later." with a sigh.

Heathen gives Martha a grin. "Yeah, and keep looky loos away so we can go all out with the beat down."