"Do you know how unusual this is to be here, take these very steps." "One is usually only fortunate enough to encounter history in his past tense." "A visit to ancient ruins." "Battlefields won and lost." "But to see it in advance, to know that this place in which you now stand will become one of monumental history." "And to know that your hand will scratch out the old world narrative." "Find a new one." "A end of a ***." "One of the mere infected finally rising up against those who keep us eternally benath their feet." "And to know, it'll be your hand that takes the favorite sword of Chthon." "The very symbol of their oppressive rule." "And uses it against them." "Or will." "With you right there by my side." "Is that where you want me?" "Just as the first moment we met." "You're sure?" "I seem you to remember the moment we met, I was trying to kill you." "And I was intended upon having you." "Funny how things work out." "It does find a way, doesn't it?" "It's all ready Marcus." "Everything installed, your exact specifications." "New ventilation interface, down in the security room, large board duct, with the AC system, and... every door now requires laser confirmation by retinal identity." "Identity confirmed." "Tucker Morfit." "What did I tell you?" " I'm good." " Yes, you are." "I do apologize for my outburst the other day." "Marcus, I'm just glad it wasn't me you made your point on." "But I'm done with him, right?" "His last task is to show you out." "Have a safe trip on Tucker." "Your well deserved reward awaits you." "Until our next masterpiece." "It's all happening." "Everything you've worked so hard for, is finally going to pay off." "Actually one last problem remains." "The same one we always had it seems." "Blade." "What about him?" "He has a habit of showing up when least expected." "I thought Chthon would do the same to him." "So, where do we find him?" "That's the best part." "I already have." "Blade The Series - 112" " Conclave" "Blade?" "Would you just sit tight?" "I don't do that very well." "You said you wanted Marcus' plans to be happening and they're happening." "I'm supposed to have faith in him?" "No, not in him, in Krista." "It's exactly why you recruited her." "She can get in place and we can't." "Or shouldn't if it screws things up like right now." "So just chill." "She said she'd call when the deed is done." "Seeing is believing." "Ah, I diddn't see this coming." "Ok." "Got any idea how we're gonna get into that building?" "Krista said they got security up the ass." "I know someone who has a key." "Who is it?" "It's her." "Krista?" "You got to get out, Marcus' people are coming for you." "They're already here." "Can you hear me?" "Blade?" "Krista?" "We're about to land." "Hum, be there in a second." "I'll tell you one thing, no vamps aren't coming here with UV lights in this place." "Now we're screwed." "Now while we're still breathing." "Now we're screwed." "Give it up, Daywalker!" "Do it." "Blow it up!" "Come on!" "Shit!" "I'm trying!" "Your boyfriend's dead." "Guess you'll have to do." "What are you doing?" "Toying with you." "Are you enjoying this, Chase?" "Have you met our guest before?" "Shen Lu-Wei," "Blade's weaponsmith , sidekick, ***, take your pick." "If you think you can use me as leverage." "We don't need you as leverage." "Blade is dead." "Have you found the body?" "*** error on the man, they don't have dick." "Assuming you're right, then you represent nothing more than a liability right now." "Blade wouldn't dream of compromising his jihad in order to rescue you." "So why am I still alive?" "Because you got knowledge." "They are operations that still remain in existence." "An underground network of hunters you traffic with." "You have names, locations, methodologies, all kinds of informations we can pry from your skull before we bleed you out." "I need you to leave for Toronto immediately." "Only to oversee every aspects of tonight's operation." "Is that understood?" "Well, let's begin." "I'm sorry?" "Coercing our friend here into talking." "Choose use your poison." "Are you meaning you want me to...?" "I presume you've encounted tortured victims during your time in Iraq." "I'd imagine you have a fairly extensive knowledge of human pain thresholds." "Let me take care of this, you've got other business to attend to, you should go." "There's time yet." "Enough for me to enjoy a few more moments of this." "I'm sorry." "Just do it, you bloodsucking bitch." "Do it!" "God!" "If you don't start talking," "I'm gonna work on your teeth." "..." "Good." "Maybe I'll start to hurt." "Krista?" "I'm impressed." "Please, escalate." "My pleasure." "Sir, the plane is ready." "That's enough for now Krista." "You'll finish when we return from Toronto." "In the meantime our friend can meditate on his own mortality." "Come." "We have a revolution to start." "They totally destroyed the place." "Blade is dead." "Hey, we got the little bitch of his." "I know, I know, I know." "Shit!" "Later." "Got any toilet paper?" "I was just kidding about that though." "So, you're my reward, aren't you?" "Take your time, I don't mind." "You do whatever Marcus tells you, don't you?" "We all have to." "Can't be too safe though?" "You're gonna need more protection than that." "Stay!" "Wait, wait, wait!" "Ok, look!" "Ok, ok, look!" "I'll tel what Marcus is planning." "I'll tell you where Chthon is meeting." "I already know." "But then, what the hell do you want?" "A way in." "Don't worry, I only need one." "Damn..." "What did you say?" "I said, sun's up." "Damn it!" "I'm here Marcus, rest assured, everything is proceeding as planned." "I'll be taking over security." "Chase," "I'm here on Marcus' orders." "Yes, and Marcus ordered me to replace you." " I didn't hear anything about..." " Or did he say remove you?" "!" "Which would you prefer?" "I'll go do the rounds." "That's prudent." "Lovely." "All we need now is the Pure Bloods, and the games can begin." " Are you infected?" " No." "You wearing a wire or some shit like that?" "Not unless, they shoved it up my ass when I wasn't looking." "Figured you were dead." "So did I, until Krista slipped me a little "pick me up"." "Still can't believe you called." "One of us gets separated, it's every man for himself." "You know that." "Oh, I surprised you answered." "Now, are you gonna tell me where you got this fine new ride?" "Same place I got that." " Their ETA?" " Five minutes." "Check on Chase." "Meet me upstairs." "Krista." "Get anything juicy out of Blade's little helper?" "Not yet." "Must not have squeezed hard enough." "Sounds to me like another job I'll be required to finish." "Just get this one done first." "So that's it." "You came all this way just to say that." "Do you roll over too?" "Catch a ball." "You know Chase," " you and I don't have to be like this." " Too late, darling." "Now run along, daddy will want you to fetch his sleepers." "They're here, aren't they?" "Just staying at the door." "I can feel them." "Not for long." "Van Sciver." "Overlord Rusk, it is an honor to gain an audience with all of you." "Almost all of us." "Yes," "Charlotte's passing came as quite as surprise." "A terrible blow for Chthon." "A sacrifice." "But after tonight, one that will not have been made in vain, yes?" "I trust you've something to present us?" "Indeed." "We wait ***." "So, what are we going in with?" "A sword, one UV blade and two guns!" "And?" "And that's it." "Great!" "Oh, and one of the guns might not work." "Oh, I'll take the other one, then." "Seriously bro, what do you think our odds are?" "Whatever they are." "They're even worse for Krista." "You actually care what happens to her?" "I care because she's our way into their world." "If she dies, Marcus goes with her." "And everything we worked for goes up in smoke." "She got us tickets to the Pure Blood ball." "If Marcus survives, he gets upgraded." "So does Krista." "Then we move one notch up the vampire foodchain, I get it." "You're just protecting our assets." "That's right." "Anyone I ever tell you you're a *** son of a bitch." "Every goddam day." "My fellow Pure Bloods, we are the untainted." "The true." "And after tonight, we will rule over even more than the House of Chthon." "I thank you all for accepting my invitation to convene." "Conclave is a rare occurence." "Even for our House." "The first among the Twelve." "And this is the time of great sorrow." "A voice is missing from our table." "Silenced by tragic circumstance." "Nevertheless, I trust that Charlotte joins us in spirit, if not in form." "And this gathering accords with our tradition." "We meet only in times of great urgency." "First, in year one of our calendar, convened by Lord Chthon himself when he took this sword in hand, and ended the tyranny of our gender." "More recently, we've met in the ruins of Nagasaki." "In the winning days of the Second World War, our kind made unprecedented advances amids the disarray and dislocation." "Now we meet for a different purpose." "True, they are many pressing issues for our House, our eternal war against the humans." "Our recent hostilities against the House of Erebus and the returning pollution of the Armayans back to the vampire nation." "Don't forget the worst filth of all." "Identity confirmed." "Tucker Morfit." "After tonight," "Blade will no longer be a factor in the great game." "How can you be so sure?" "Because tonight, we all become daywalkers." "Tonight, we take possession of a weapon that will ciment our domination of the other Houses." "The fruit of Charlotte's final project begun nearly a decade ago finally birthed then brought to us from beyond her grave :" "Aurora." "Your prop." "To my final performance." "Everything ready on the ***?" "Perfectly." "Yours?" "Poison in place." "Awaiting your touch." "In a very short while, the three of us will leave that room upstairs and with it the old House of Chthon." "Now I know that your relationship has had its difficulties." "I just hope all that can be put behind us." "Because we are about to walk into a new world." "And there is just simply no one," "I would rather take those first few steps with." "And the two of you..." "Sir?" "The Overlord is ready for you." "And so will I to ***." "What's he doing back in here?" "Van Sciver asked to make the presentation in Charlotte's absence." "He's a turned blood." "Under the circumstances, I'm... willing to make an exception." "Just this once." "Thank you, Lord Rusk." "And I thank all of you for your indulgence." "I am honored to have had the opportunity to prepare this site for this..." "Oh, get on with it, Van Sciver." "We're far too old to be moved by your honey-voiced ass-kissing." "And remember, you might have built this room." "But that doesn't mean a turned blood like you belongs here." "Or ever will." "Of course." "But I assure you I come bearing a magnificient gift." "The gift of a new dawn for our House." "A real dawn." "One that will allow each and every one of you to experience things that you never have before." "To be what you never have been." "Kill 'em all." "Familiars too." "I was hoping for something more specific." "The security room is like *** poison gaz." " We'll start there and work our way up." " And when we get to the top?" "Kill more vampires." "I'm awarr some of you had doubts when Charlotte presented my proposal for Aurora's development." "And it did take many years, and many millions of dollars to perfect." "But what I bring tonight is a prize unlike anything our House or any other Houses has ever seen." "Enough theater Marcus, just give us what you came to give us." "Happily." "The vaccine you've all been expecting." "The magical cure that will conquer our genetic weakness to garlic, silver and sunlight." "It never worked." "But don't worry." "I've come to deliver what you really deserve." "Shit!" "Well done, Marcus, well done!" "You almost had me actually believing that Aurora wasn't the lie that you've been selling all this time." "The same lie that forced you to blow up Charlotte's plane." "Friends," "I apologize for not informing you of this subterfuge sooner." "We thought it was important that Marcus revealed himself." "We?" "We!" "Chase!" "Charlotte gave me a simple choice, Marcus." "You or the House of Chthon." "And as much as I've grown to care for you," "I decided it was more prudent to bet on the House." "After everything I gave to you." "And everything you didn't." "Chase!" "Chase, no." "Marcus belongs to us." "The vents are screwed." "There's no delivery system for the poison." "Yes, there is, me." "Get the other two working." "And then get your ass up there." "What a delightful way top end the evening?" "Drinking the blood of a traitor." "After you've watched him die, you belong to me." "Can't have a party without a keg." "Screw this!" "Just stay cool pal, and no one dies." "I forgot the one that doesn't work." "I should have let him kill you, Van Sciver." "It's nice to meet you too, Blade." "Who belongs to who now, bitch!" "Shit!" "Damn it!" "Identity confirmed." "Is it about a man, Chase?" "You're such a girl!" "This isn't about Marcus." "This is about me moving up in the world." "Sorry, sweetie!" "I only see you going down!" "That's the relic of Chthon?" "Why am I not surprised it's a piece of shit!" "Blade!" "Your death will make this night complete." "Krista!" "Shen!" "Don't try to tell me that was a win." "Pure Bloods dead is a win." "Marcus further up the ladder is a win." "Krista still with him..." " is a win." " Yeah, yeah, for how long?" "!" " Because you know the deeper she goes!" " She can handle it." "Anyone ever tell you you're an optimistic son of a bitch." "Every goddam day!" "Marcus, what are we doing here?" "Just tying up loose ends." "Blade was a thorn in my sight for quite some time." "It caused to people considerable troubles over the years." "And now he's gone." "For now." "They're going underground, eventually re-emerge in some other city." "Won't you have to do the same?" "I mean, the Pure Bloods are gonna be looking for you now." "No doubt, but they'll have to be cautious." "I have the great equalizer." "The weapon which targets the royal blood but yet leaves the rest of us turned safe and sound." "The atom bomb is at my disposal." "They'll have no choice but to acceed to my demands." "Which are what?" "Rule Chthon, first of all." "The entire House." "Never in the history of our people has a turned blood been able to top it all." "Now one is." "I promise you, things will be very different from here on out." "Especially now that Chase is dead." "We don't know that for certain." "Come on Marcus, I saw her drop a dozen storeys." "Even if I saw her ash!" "Even if I had my hand with her reminants." "I would still watch my back for the rest of my years on earth!" "Can I ask you something?" "Anything." "How did you find out where Blade was operating from?" "Who told you about this location?" "Blade has a network of people working with him." "Informants, ashers, people who traffic on both sides of the fence." "We were able to intercept a phone call last week." "We traced it." "Followed this person here." "The rest was simplicity." "Now I have a question for you." "How long have you been working for Blade?"