Do Not Go Gently

[Trillian]

The verdict given, the audience filtering out, the heavies approaching to walk him to wherever the fuck Jake was going to pass sentence. The weight of the black onyx necklace around his neck became increasingly heavier with each step Jake's guards took towards him. Lazarus was careful to hang his head, stare at the ground, listen... listen... listen to where everyone was. Out of the corner of his eye Sabrina stood at the podium - not quite relaxed, probably keeping an eye on him. Best not to make a move in front of her, even with his ring. It hadn't stopped him from being forced to wear that other piece of jewellery. He didn't know if its magic worked alongside the ring or not... he hadn't tested it.

But he would, and soon. He wasn't going to wait for Jake to cut off his head or his hand or his cock. Whatever punishment his ex-lover had in mind wasn't a punishment he would be wearing. His willingness to go along with everything and the fact he'd been seen to 'give up and call me guilty' at the trial made everyone relax more than they should. A predictable outcome. They were still wary of him, but not as much as they should be.

Four of them. He recognised the quartet as being part of Jake's security favourites. The ones who knew how to fight; some martial arts or boxers or whatever the fuck they were. They had no chains (no real room to swing them in this theatre and its tiny stage), nor did they have flamethrowers (because the Zingari was a tinderbox). They weren't very old in comparison to him, so he was their physical superior. Still, four of them plus Jake plus bitch-face plus (and this was the wildcard) Sabrina... wouldn't be easy.

And if his idea about the ring and the necklace didn't work, then he would be screwed. He had to try, though.

He went with the foursome when they indicated for him to. They walked to one side of the stage and into the wings, heading for a dressing room or something because they weren't heading for the door that Lazarus had been brought through into the theatre. There was the girl in the wings and another shadowy thug further along the corridor. Damnit. That made six.

As soon as Lazarus was in the wings and out of sight of Sabrina, he casually lifted a hand to run it through his hair (a common move), but he brought the ring to the necklace instead... and touched the gems.

White light imploded in his brain, striking him temporarily blind. Ah fuck! It had backfired! ...but no! The two magics had actually fought each other! He felt the necklace break and slither down his chest, landing with a soft thump on the floor. He'd also heard people cry out all around him. His vision came back fairly quickly, spotty as it was, and he saw figures hunched over, hands to their eyes. The figure farthest away was a vampire he recognised as being one of Jake's closest heavies - not the soldier boy though - and he'd recovered almost as quickly as Lazarus himself had.

Lazarus kicked and punched his way out from the square of heavies and made a dash for the exit.

[Black Philip]

Jake heard the commotion and figured it could only be one thing. Lazarus couldn't! The witches magic prevented him from trying to escape. He was two thousand years old though, and then there was that ring. Jake and Lisa-Joe ran towards backstage and saw two of their security forces blocking the exit with their bodies. Lazarus could probably crash threw them, but they were prepared to try and grapple the ancient if needed. Strength was important, but skill mattered too. Amy and Manuel ran back from the main house. Amy's eyes glowed as she pulled out a heavy magnum, her style being shooting combined with Ausepex. Manuel was a city animal, but a beast nonetheless. The bartender's hands grew into claws. The Gangrel stood with Amy blocking another exit lane.

"Sabrina," Jake yelled back to the leader of the south, but didn't wait to see if she was coming. He wished he was faster and made his way over to where his sword would be stashed. Lisa-Joe meanwhile went to intercept him. She was much slower than him obviously but aimed for where he would be soon instead of where he was. She gave full strength to her body slam, hoping to catch him square in the middle. The other two guards covered the way Lazarus came, in case he doubled back. It was all up to luck now. Jake was nowhere to be seen.

[Trillian]

The door to the exit was the opposite to the one Ben, Kerr and Saraekiel had gone through earlier - not that this knowledge would have changed Lazarus' mind either way. He'd headed for the door he knew was there - the one that had a small roadway for delivery vehicles. It was where he'd come in initially. He put his shoulder down and shoved into one of the grunts blocking his exit. Ribs snapped. Punching, kicking, tearing, twisting - in the fight with the two of them, he broke one of their necks but was having trouble getting a hold of the other. He finally managed to twist a fist into the other guy's clothing and was about to toss him aside when the first bullet plunged into his side, creating a cavity of heat and pain. He yelled his torment, an animalistic cry and but didn't release the other vampire by an instinct of survival that coursed deep inside. If he let go or gave up now, he was done.

He threw the other guard away from him and grabbed the doorhandle just as someone else slammed into his back. Fuck! It was like being hit by a small car. It compounded the pain in his side enough to spark the red rage that had caught him in Jake's chambers. He couldn't see or understand what or who he fought - he just became an animal. A powerful, two milennia strong, animal. There was no thinking, no calculation, just instinct and narrow focus. He was going to rip the head off whoever had dared to attack him.

With red blazing eyes, he reached out to grab Lisa-Joe - not recognising her, but aware that she needed to die before he could leave.

[Black Philip]

Jake returned to the scene to find Lazarus had just been body slammed by Lisa-Joe. His face bore animistic rage, and it was directed towards his best friend! Jake unsheathed his blade and ran towards Lazarus who had extended both hands towards her with uninhibited rage stamped in his eyes. The Brujah registered fear and quietly accepted her anticipated death, wondering if it meant he'd be caught. It wasn't the death she wanted though. She had so much more to give. She tried to blink away but their difference in power was too great. His hands had just touched her. A flash of steel was seen in her eye. Jake didn't target Lazarus in general. His aim was specific. He went for his hand, blade swung up and from below his wrist. He might nick Lisa-Joe, but if he cut off Lazarus's hand it was over. He would Dominate him and then he could be contained.

The other Anarchs moved towards the Harpy but wouldn't reach Lazarus in time. A bullet shot out towards the ancient, but only Jake's sword had a chance of stopping him, that or Sabrina of course.

[Trillian]

His bestial focus on Lisa-Joe was what ended his reign of terror. He was aware of another coming up one side, the vampires moving so slowly in comparison to his own speed it was like syrup. One of his hands clutched red hair and the other gripped her shoulder. His arm suddenly moved upwards as though someone had knocked it away from the woman whose existence he'd meant to end... but nobody had knocked it. The momentum that came from losing his hand at the wrist drove him back against the door.

The blade was sharp - he had no idea what he'd lost, even as another bullet tore into his shoulder and had him snarling even as he half-staggered to the floor. He only realised his hand was no longer attached when he reached out to steady himself, and the shock of it gone had him sinking to his knees, the rage gone in an instant.

No. No!

The bullet wounds were nothing in comparison to the terror he felt at losing his hand. He was incomplete now. He was a gimp. He turned his head to look at Jake, the sword high above his head, blood on the steel. Hatred poured out of Lazarus, sharp, acrid and permanent.

And then his mind was invaded.

[Black Philip]

The second their eyes connected, Lazarus would remain still. "On your knees," he barked, Lazarus obeying without protest. It was almost like dominating a human, a muscle that was underdeveloped to an obscene degree. He pushed in, and began to enter him into a hypnotic trance. He had complicated instructions to give. Lazarus remained aware of where he was, and could understand Jake's voice. The rest of the world drifted away.  Jake grabbed the severed hand, holding his sword with only one now. He slid the ring off it's finger and placed it in his pants pocket before putting the hand on the ground beside him. His bloodstained blade had saved him once more. He looked at Lazarus and saw a scared, sad child. The parts of him that still held affection for the man ached, but then he saw two of his own struck down, and he let those parts go back inside his mind.

Now the decision was more complicated. He had an impulse to end it all right now. His blade was drawn and he was totally vulnerable. He might never get a chance like this again. No. Even now he didn't want him to die. He'd made up his mind about what he was going to do. Lisa-Joe backed away slowly, breaking down due to the fear of dying. Amy and Manuel went to console her, the girl keeping her gun drawn just in case.

Jake leaned down and looked at Lazarus, letting his aura be a pleasing and loving one. He wanted him to feel safe as he gave these instructions, and as he said his goodbye.

"Lazarus, you are banished. You are banished from the city as long as I remain in power. I have taken your ring from you, because you have proven unworthy of whatever power it holds. I will lock it away so it does not harm anyone else. Despite everything, I want you to know that I don't hate you, and that when I remember you I'll focus on the good times, love." He didn't hate the sound of Lazarus's signature word coming out of his mouth. "Now, if you return to the city you're mind will explode in psychic pain for as long as I can use Dominate."

Jake had only seen this technique preformed, doing it here for the first time. The technique demonstrated a master level ability. Still, Lazarus's mind was so untrained he couldn't resist and Jake had been growing in his abilities thanks to Luke. He implanted the command deep within his psyche, rooting it there, ready to activate should Lazarus attempt to disobey him and come back into the city.

"Do you have anything to say to me before I formally begin your banishment?" It might be their last chance to speak ever. He let Lazarus speak freely, prepared for whatever he might utter.

[Trillian]

He couldn't stop the sensations and thoughts that invaded him. Lazarus, who despised even mental communication coming at him unprovoked, better understood the helplessness that Ben felt when he'd claimed him. He would've preferred the physical version over this travesty.

When given the opportunity to speak, he did it quietly, so it would remain between them.

Lazarus uttered: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay."

[Black Philip]

Jake wasn't sure exactly what Lazarus meant, but took it as a threat towards him. Well what had he expected? Sparing his life might have consequences one day, and Jake was resolved to face them should they show up. The prince would not be goaded into killing him. He let the last time Lazarus see his face be pleasant, to  show him that on some level Jake would miss him; a complicated war of emotions ever present in the young ruler. Still, he felt like a leader again. The trial had been mostly a success. His family was alive and okay. He'd faced his rapist head on, and he'd done it without killing him. Jake reflected that perhaps he had finally started to let the violent part of him die.

He turned to see Lisa-Joe looking at him with a mix of shock and disbelief. Amy and Manuel were each holding a hand, the girl's gun stowed away once more. The Harpy could not believe Jake wasn't killing him. He'd tried to destroy her just moments ago. She'd been serving him! Lisa-Joe was angry at Jake now, for perhaps the first time ever really. He cared more for his rapist than his best friend. She thought that perhaps she didn't know him at all.

The Ventrue rose up and kept Lazarus's gaze for just a moment longer. "Leave now, don't look back. Their is a motel on the other side of the tracks that's outside the city limits. You can make it there before day. After that you're on your own. Take your hand. Perhaps you can find magic to reattach it." Lazarus would see his wound was forming a black scar, the same shade and consistency as the one across Jake's chest. Jake took a psychosomatic deep breath and said his final words. "Goodbye love. I hope you find your way."

With that, Lazarus would have to begin following the command, heading towards the exit of the city. He alone could decide to go to the motel Jake mentioned or not. He would just need to leave as soon as possible.

[Trillian]

Lazarus snatched his hand up and shouldered the theatre door harder than he needed to, expelling him onto the drive-thru passageway. He used his celerity to get him a few blocks away and surprised a couple of homeless stoner teenagers hanging towards the back of an alley. He came upon them hard, holding one by the throat with his one good hand to stop his scream while he knelt upon the other and bled him dry - bullets popping out of his side and his shoulder as his body healed. There was a stink of urine as the bladder of the living teenager let go when he saw his friend die and knew he was next. Lazarus eyed him assessingly - he wasn't pretty enough to go through the bother keeping, so he bled him dry too and then quickly tried to shove his severed hand onto his wrist, which had already healed to a stump.

Nothing. His hand was already feeling chalky and even as he ran with it with more speed in the night, making it to the outskirts of the city before dawn, as Jake had deduced, (but not to the motel because he would not let that fucker know where he was staying), Lazarus' hand had turned to ash. He forced his way into a house he'd thought abandoned but had to subdue and then drain its solitary female inhabitant. He drained four of her cats too, for good measure, but one got away.

Tomorrow night he would leave this city... but he would find a way to return.

And he would raze this fucking city to the ground.

[pinkroses]

When Lisa-Joe disappeared, Sebastian had stayed behind to make sure everyone was out of the immediate area before following her. If there was something going on then they needed to make sure they weren’t about to be surrounded.

As soon as he was sure the half of the theatre closest to the stage was clear, Sebastian headed backstage, arriving just as Lazarus disappeared through the exit, clutching something, but Seb couldn’t see what it was.

He took half a step to follow the blonde, but despite being older than all the other vampires in here, Seb knew he wouldn’t catch Lazarus in a race with the other using his celerity. He paced quickly towards Lisa-Joe, feeling the shock practically vibrating off of her as he eyed up the sword in Jake’s hands.

Seb stepped closer to Lisa-Joe, not reaching for a hand as those were both taken, but brushing his fingers along the cool skin of her neck. He mentally sought permission to access her memory of what had happened and as soon as it was granted he took it, everything becoming clear in less than a second.

His fingers tightened slightly on the nape of her neck, not squeezing, but with definite pressure. How had this happened?

“I think the sword can go away now, Jake,” Seb said in a commanding tone as he gazed at the youngster, his blue eyes dark with anger. He should have gone after him. Lazarus was severely injured, he wouldn’t get far before he had to feed. And now he didn’t have that ring Seb could rip his mind apart and leave him an empty shell.

But that would mean leaving Lisa-Joe in this vulnerable state and directly going against Jake’s wishes… it was so tempting though.

[Black Philip]

Jake was cleaning the blood off the blade as Seb told him to put it away. He didn't registrar the command at first. His mind was distracted. He found the stock for his blade and sheathed it, wrapping it around his shoulder. Lisa-Joe was a mess, a raw ton of emotion Jake had never seen from her before. Lazarus was gone now, and at least for a while they'd be rid of him. He could see the anger on Seb's face, and part of him wondered why it was there. He assumed it was the display of violence, but how could that have been avoided? He didn't probe the look either, but would want the other's opinion when they had a moment alone together. Jake dared not touch his pocket, raising his mental shields and not allowing the same access that Lisa-Joe had just given.

Jake moved to Lisa-Joe and hugged her, and despite her anger, she was more happy they were both alive than mad at him. They'd need to talk about priories and things needed to change. She looked at Seb, and he got to see her anger, her hurt. Jake would see it later. Jake then gave orders to care for the wounded and get everyone back to the White Rabbit. Lisa-Joe was walking by now, and went to Seb. "Come stay the day with me?" The request was given softly, the least confident he would've heard her. She seemed ready to leave, and it was also clear Jake wasn't coming. He would lock up.

[Harlequin]

Sabrina only made it to the bottom of the steps leading up to her podium before pain crashed threw her, the death of the necklace's magic a terrible and sudden burden that weakened her knees. Her tall frame swayed, sagging finally up against the podium.

And there she stayed for several minutes, breathing shallow, both hands a-tremor. A drop of thick, dark blood dripped sluggishly from the corner of her mouth and onto the stage. The stain it left behind would never come out.

When she righted herself, the action was over. Lazarus was gone, but the scent of his blood -- hot sand and crushed palm leaves -- remained. Pushing off of the podium, she moved toward the group backstage, bending to pick up the remains of the necklace she'd made as she went. A creeping dread set up shop in her gut. She hadn't been disabled like that in a long time.

She looked at Jake. "The ring," was all she said, wiping the corner of her mouth with her hand. Her voice crackled drily in her throat.

[Black Philip]

Jake turned to the demon-witch, his face somewhat concerned for how she looked. He almost offered her a chair, before realizing none were around. Besides, she was tough, and he doubted she would've taken it. He heard the words, and for a moment, he said nothing, almost like ring, what ring? There's never been a ring! But then he tapped his pocket, finding himself unable to lie to the person in front of him.

"I took it when I took his hand," he said softly, not daring to look at Lisa-Joe or Seb right now. He didn't bring it out, but Sabrina now knew where it was.

[pinkroses]

It wasn’t Jake necessarily that Seb was angry at, it was the whole situation, but Jake was the reason behind it all, he was why they were here, why Lisa-Joe had almost been murdered by that creature.

“Of course,” Seb said, half tempted to suggest they go to his instead. He knew that place was safe and it was far away from all of this chaos. But she would probably want to be surrounded by familiarity. Seb wanted to scoop her up and carry her there in his arms, but settled for an arm around her waist, ready to feel any hint that she might not be strong enough to walk.

As Sabrina joined them Seb watched her steadily, before glancing towards Jake. She looked terrible, she must have been connected to the necklace somehow, and however the ancient managed to get it off had affected her.

“Jake, you have no need for that thing. Sabrina, would you watch over it?” Seb said, hoping that his question to Sabrina would prompt Jake to hand it over to the witch. Jake used his mental powers, he definitely wouldn’t make any good use out of it, other than the temptation which may arise should Lazarus re-appear. His love. Yes, he’d stayed strong on the podium, but if Lazarus came back, under the right circumstances Jake could be fooled all over again.

And he really hoped Jake wasn't going to argue about it. Seb had a century and a half on the youngster, and unlike Lazarus he had made use of his centuries to train.

[Harlequin]

The witch agreed with the stranger, an old vampire, but she wasn't going to push Jake. Instead, she took the hand not holding holding the necklace hand from the pocket of her rumpled suit coat and held it out, palm up. She smiled with one side of her mouth despite the weariness written on her face; it still somehow reached her eyes.

"I won't take it to Mordor," she promised, "I'll give it back if you ask."

[Black Philip]

There was only one person in the whole city who commanded the respect, friendship, and on some level, love needed to make Jake part with the ring, and that person was Sabrina. He couldn't refuse her, especially when she asked him so nicely despite her current state. Jake allowed his concern to surface more, and wondered if he could drop her at home since he was going to the Dante's Inferno instead of the Rabbit. Dante's and the parlor weren't so far apart. He heard Seb's comment, and was annoyed to say the least. Seb was not a member of the ward, an official employee of any district and had told Jake days before leadership wasn't for him. Now, just days later, he was telling Jake what to do with his ring?

Jake caught himself, as these thoughts were paranoid. Why did he care about the ring so much? Seb was right. He had no use for it. His main weapon was his two mental Disciplines. He needed Presence and Dominate to survive. Yet, he didn't want to give it up. Perhaps that was all the proof he needed that at least for now he should. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring, looking at it, and even touching the gem with his fingers. He wondered if he'd see anything, or feel any of it's power. Nothing happened, and afterwords he simply placed it in Sabrina's hand. All was well.

"I'd like to study it with you if that's okay? I've always been curious about it." He smiled at her, feeling a strange relief that he wasn't taking the ring home, but was also happy he had access to it. It was strange, and maybe indicative of how lonely he was, but in an odd way, the ring was all he had left of Lazarus, and for some reason he wanted something to remember him by. "Do you need a lift home Sabs? I'm going very near the parlor."

Lisa-Joe knew Jake was going to see Sam and patch things up with her. It was the only reason she wasn't more angry at him for not coming back with her. They'd talk tomorrow, and Jake would not enjoy that conversation.

[Harlequin]

"I'd love that." Her smile blossomed as Jake placed the ring in her open palm. In much the same way he'd done, she ran her long fingers over the object.

Unlike Jake, however, its power responded to her touch; a sensation akin to the scalding of a white-hot flame where the gem touched skin. Dragon's blood. Rare, dangerous. Not her friend, for sure.  She'd put a lot of herself into that necklace and blood magics were often...incompatible. No wonder it had broken.

The ring and the necklace went into different pockets, and she pulled a face, teeth clenched behind tight lips. She should have been more careful. Getting lazy in your old age. Getting soft like your belly. The Treacle whispered, unkind in her weakened state. It didn't like her like this, but it also didn't know how to care.

She pushed it down with a thought, and it quieted, sulking. She smiled down at Jake again and shook her head, "Thank you for the offer, but I...don't do well with cars." She held her hands close together, palms toward each other in a 'squishing' gesture, "The walk will do me good."

She placed a hand on the Vampire's shoulder, then, and leaned down to kiss the top of his head, "You were so brave up there. I'm so, so proud of you," she whispered, so only he could hear, before giving his shoulder a squeeze and straightening.

There was one thing she needed to know, though, before she left. And she could hear the hot bath and chilled bottle of white wine back at the Parlor calling to her, "What...happened to Lazarus?" This was asked to the group at large; she didn't want to make Jake relive a painful experience.

[Black Philip]

Jake felt like he had to be the one who answered. He'd made the decision to spare his life.

"He attacked our security forces," Jake explained, pointing to the two vampires he'd injured. Luckily, even a broken neck didn't kill a vampire, as long as it was still attached. Then he tried to murder Lisa-Joe here." Sabrina would see her surrounded by the Anarchs and Seb, looking shell shocked and pissed.

"I cut his hand off and Dominated him into a trance. I banished him and put a pain command into his brain that if reenters the city he'll feel agony like he's never experienced."

He was scared Sabrina would've wanted his death assured. Sparing him or killing him; he was bound to piss off someone.

[Harlequin]

Her disappointment showed only for a second before the smile was back. She reached up to let her hair down, fluffing it gently before shrugging with one shoulder.

"Well, we'll have to prepare for his return. Rats always come back." Until you snap their brittle necks, "Hopefully he learned better from you than from me." She grimaced. Sabrina was not proud of what she'd done to Lazarus. It had been a twisted, terrible thing; a perversion of her beliefs. She'd let her rage and hurt get the better of her.

"Goodnight Jake. Lisa-Joe. Uh...you." she nodded to each of them gathered in turn, ending on Sebastian with another little shrug, this one accompanied by a vaguely apologetic look. She did not have the energy to make nice with strangers. If he wanted to take it personally, that was his problem. Somehow, he didn't seem the type, though.

With that she left them, pushing open the same door through which Lazarus had made his escape, out into the alley and the night beyond.

[pinkroses]

“Seb,” the ancient filled in, with a small nod to the witch, recognising that they hadn’t been introduced yet. He was pleased that Jake had handed over the ring without argument. He had caught the hesitation and it concerned Seb. If Sabrina let him study it then Seb hoped she would keep a close eye on it. Something that small could easily go… missing. He wanted to thank Jake for giving it up, but it would probably come off as patronising or just remind Jake or what he’d just given up, so he left it.

His gaze followed Sabrina as she left through the door Lazarus had, half wondering if she’d had the same plan to go after the blonde as he had initially. But she looked shaken so hopefully she wouldn’t in her current state, despite Lazarus’.

“Are you ready to go?” Seb asked, casting his gaze back towards Lisa-Joe. He wanted to get her safe at home, but with everything that had happened, she might have more tasks to complete here before she would be happy to leave.

[Black Philip]

Lisa-Joe stood up with help from Seb and the Anarchs. She looked ready to go, and quickly shot Jake a hand wave. She looked at her friend and lover, and with a bit of her spunk back said, "Let's get the fuck out of here." She started to walk, taking Seb's hand and leading him and the other Anarchs back to their cars. Once they returned to the White Rabbit, Lisa-Joe would take Seb to her room. For once she wouldn't want sex. She did want him to be near though. For once she didn't feel like the baddest bitch in the room. For once she felt scared.
Jake waited until everyone else was gone. The theater was dead quiet now and he walked back to the main stage where Lazarus had sat. His mind was mostly thinking about the man who'd impacted his life so much in a short amount of time. He'd been fun and exciting. He'd been dotting and someways giving, and the sex between them had been consistently amazing. Those were the good parts. Then he remembered the bad.

He heard the blonde's testimony again in his mind, and his realization about the man's character flooded back. He couldn't love. It was a tragedy. Jake would need more time to heal, but he felt like how he'd handled this situation had been a good start. He'd taken back his power, and slayed his own dragon. He'd even got some treasure, although he had to share it.

As he locked up the theater, he heard a rustle and jumped, looking towards a dark alley. Killing him would've been final. There would be no coming back from it. What if Sabrina was right? If he came back he would probably kill Jake first thing. In the game of eternity Jake considered his true death might come at the hand of the man he spared. After all, it was a life for a life. Their scorecard was even. "See ya round, love," he whispered, as he got into a car.