by Justin Sloan
Robin followed her finger and felt her mouth going dry. These people not only knew about vampires—or Nosferatu, to be more precise—they were going to pit them against each other for entertainment?
No wonder the local Forsaken were eager to take part in a coup. These were their creations, their minions, in a sense. How could the leaders of Toro have accomplished this?
“They’re in on it,” Valerie murmured, voice hushed.
“What?”
“The Forsaken. There’s something here we’re not seeing. This wouldn’t happen without the Forsaken being part of it.”
Robin leaned forward in her chair, realizing that Valerie was right. Why would the Forsaken allow their Nosferatu to fight each other for entertainment?
As she watched the announcer open another door into the arena, she understood that she had been wrong. It wasn’t about them fighting each other.
The rumors she had heard came flashing back—that this was about removing the older slaves from the population. It hadn’t seemed possible, or maybe it had seemed too cruel, so she had dismissed it. But there they were—a group of slaves being herded onto the field below, opposite the Nosferatu.
“And now,” the announcer was saying, gesturing as someone pulled a rope to remove the cloth cover from a table of weapons, “in Round One, we will demonstrate what happens when untrained humans go up against these creatures of the night.”
The slaves, still bound by chains, were pointed toward the weapons. Some ran for them, others stared around in confusion, and one started beseeching the crowd.
Robin started to stand, but Valerie put a hand on her leg.
“Do you see your parents?” Valerie asked.
Again Robin strained her eyes, but shook her head. Nothing. She did, however, notice Martha and Rand in the crowd to their right among the normal people, and was pleased to see several others they had rescued from Slaver’s Peak.
She nodded to Valerie. “We’ve got backup.”
Valerie glanced over. “Good. And our friend?”
Robin shot a quick glance at the older woman; she wasn’t there. “Gone.”
“Which means something’s going to happen to the others here, I’d imagine.”
“My parents are likely somewhere in the crowd. Either way, if we don’t act now those men and women down there will die.”
“You’re prepared to blow our cover to ensure that doesn’t happen?”
Robin considered and then simply said, “Yes.”
“Who am I to stick to plans when people’s lives are on the line?”
With a leap, Valerie was out of the seats and then running down the aisle stairs. Robin didn’t waste any time and was soon following her. Gasps and shouts of confusion sounded as they ran past.
The announcer had just shouted, “LET THE GAMES COMMENCE” and darted from the field when Robin and Valerie reached the ledge that separated the stadium from the seats. The Nosferatu had been released and the chains of the slaves had dropped, but people were starting to notice Valerie and Robin.
“You two, back up!” the announcer yelled and someone else was on the microphone screaming at them, but they weren’t listening because the Nosferatu were already moving.
One of the slaves had charged forward and the crowd screamed as the Nosferatu swept over him, devouring him, blood spraying. More moved to the other slaves, but Valerie and Robin were darting forward, putting everything into it, and Valerie was shouting for the slaves to stay back.
Robin glanced at Martha and the others and held up a hand to tell them not to move yet. She could take care of this with Valerie.
“Mind if I borrow that?” she shouted as she darted past one of the slaves, snatching the machete from his hand.
The Nosferatu were almost upon them. Two steps later, Robin connected. She leaped into the air and brought down the blade to hack through the creature’s neck, sending its head flying.
Screams came from the crowd, some already trying to run away, but men with guns appeared, ordering them to stay seated.
Valerie tore through the enemy like they were paper dolls, slamming them with her shoulder guards and ripping them to shreds with her long claws. A couple managed to throw attacks her way, resulting in tears to the tank top, but nothing more. It was quite the sight—all that beauty turned into a ball of rage and destruction.
Robin spun for her next attack, then her next, and soon this group of Nosferatu was finished.
Valerie and Robin stood there, chests heaving, covered in blood. The slaves backed away, but the announcer leaped up onto a stage. He wore a white suit and had on a black cowboy hat, and a bracelet or fancy watch shimmered in the moonlight as he pointed at them.
“It seems we have some new contenders for you all tonight,” his voice boomed from the sound system. “That being the case, we thought we’d switch to the main event.”
Robin didn’t like the sound of that but she simply turned, looking for any sign of her parents.
A gate toward the back of the stadium moved down with a screeching, followed by a large group of slaves running in while shots were fired behind them.
And there they were—first her mom, eyes wide with fright, looking much older than Robin remembered her. Next her dad appeared, wrapping an arm around her mom and whispering something while holding a hand out as if to push the others away.
Their eyes met Robin’s with a mixture of confusion, relief, and terror.
She darted forward, hugging them, and the announcer hooted. “Look at that, ladies and gentlemen, our new contenders seem to have a soft spot for slaves. That’s going to make this next part very tough, then.”
“Stay close!” Robin shouted, grasping her parents by the shoulders, barely able to believe they were here with her after all this time. “Whatever happens, I’ll keep you safe.”
“That’s what a father should be saying to his daughter,” her dad replied. “I just…how? Where have you been?”
“Looking for you, Dad.” She kissed them each on the cheek, and then the shots started.
“We love you, dear,” her mom told her between screams as they ran. “Whatever happens next, never forget that.”
“Nothing’s going to happen to you two!” Robin called, getting between them and the shots, head swiveling back and forth to search for the shooters.
Slaves dropped dead at the periphery, then others started running and screaming away from the gates.
Robin and her parents were moving too—if for no other reason than to avoid being trampled—and then she saw where the shots were coming from.
Those machines she had seen the soldiers putting together, if you could call them that. It looked like metal walls coming at them with several gun ports and even holes for blades and spears. They were barely held off the ground by the antigrav technology, and it looked like a couple people ran alongside them, the antigrav letting them push them with ease, while others had seated shooting positions on the machines themselves.
“Fucking turtles!” her dad shouted.
“Turtles? Oh, like you taught me, back in Ancient Rome.”
“It’s what they had us working on. We were underground, but—”
More shots interrupted him and they dove to the ground.
“Tell me more…afterwards.” She turned to look for Valerie. “Val!”
Valerie was there in an instant. “You take the one on the right.”
Robin looked between her and her parents, shaking her head. “I have to protect them.”
“How many others will die if you don’t do something?”
Robin looked at her mom and dad, and knew it was true. “Stay down.”
She jumped up, prepared herself, and then ran for the turtle on the right. The rifles started firing, but instead of leaping out of the way to avoid getting hit she took the shots. No way was she going to let those bullets pass her and risk them hitting her parents. But that made her think and, as she saw Valerie leap over the one on the left, she made
an arc around hers so that its back was exposed as it turned to follow her.
They shot more, and when she got close, jabbed with their spears and swords through slits in the metal.
Had they been fighting against Forsaken or Nosferatu the turtle might have proven to be a problem, but as it was, Valerie was too damn good for them.
Robin felt the push of fear as Valerie let loose. Even though she had grown used to it to a degree and learned to mostly block its affects, she took a step back and cringed. The others felt it worse, and even the audience fell into a hush.
One of the slaves maneuvering the turtle closest to Robin took off running and then the other one fell as Valerie darted around the machine and dove in, plucking its operators away and flinging them onto the field.
All but the soldier operating the main gun, the one who tried to turn and stab her. Blood splattered the ground and Robin lost sight of them as the audience let out a gasp.
“She’s one of them!” someone shouted even as Robin moved in take down the second turtle.
“Both of them!” another confirmed. “They’re vampires!”
As if on cue, more gates opened and a new group of Nosferatu came charging in. Not just onto the field, though; the section where the elite sat was suddenly swarming with Nosferatu, who sank their teeth into those well-dressed pompous asses.
Robin finished off a soldier as she turned, debating her next move. The elite were in trouble, but the slaves, including her parents, were squaring off with the Nosferatu down here.
She knew her place. It was with her family.
With a war cry, she charged the Nosferatu. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Valerie waving for Martha and the others to join in and shouted, “Save as many as you can,” though Robin doubted whether they could hear her.
There wasn’t time to worry about the elite, though. None of that other stuff mattered when she saw her dad backing up, pushing her mom behind him as he held up a metal bar he must’ve found among the weapons.
One of the Nosferatu was almost upon him, but Robin leaped forward and tackled it mid-jump. They landed in a roll, during which she dropped the machete. Robin recovered, tore off one of her heels, and jammed it into the beast’s eye socket. She slammed it deeper with the heel of her hand, and the Nosferatu stopped moving.
She stood, kicking off the other shoe so that it whapped the next Nosferatu in the head, pulling its attention from the crowd of slaves.
With a quick roll to grab the machete, she came up swiftly hacking at the Nosferatu’s midsection, spilling its guts, then jammed the blade deep into its skull. When she tried to pull the blade free it snapped in half, but she punted and sunk the half-blade deep into the mouth of the next one.
She turned to see that Valerie had taken out more than her fair share, and a couple of the Nosferatu had turned and fled. Martha and her pirates were holding off the Nosferatu in the stands, though many of the elite had already fallen.
That’s when she noticed the men and women in the top row, six in all, struggling to hold their own. Two Forsaken emerged from the walkway behind them, eyes glowing red, and made their move, sinking their teeth into the members of the council.
Screams filled the arena as those who hadn’t yet figured out what was happening did so, and now everyone was in a panic. Some ran while soldiers turned their guns on them, and others tried to make it to the arena floor.
The council was evil as far as Robin knew, but so was anyone who could betray them and give their lives to vampires.
As far as she was concerned, that battle wasn’t hers. She was here for her parents, nothing more.
Backing up to them, her father kissed the side of her head.
“What’d they do to you?” he asked. “Are you like…a super-soldier?”
“A mutant?” her mom asked.
“A bit of both, in a way,” Robin replied, hugging them while looking for the best exit. “I’m one of them. I’m a vampire. Only difference is, I have another vampire friend who’s stronger than all of them.”
They looked at her with confusion, but she motioned to Valerie just as she took over one of the turtles, maneuvering it all by herself. With the antigrav and her vampire strength the turtle moved through the air like a glider, landing on the stands just next to the two vampires. She put a couple bullets in each of them, then stepped back and used it like a massive baseball bat. She connected with the first one and sent him flying, then leaped forward to destroy the second with her bare hands.
The armed slaves converged on the vampire who had fallen among them, and it was soon over for him.
“Enough!” a woman’s voice shouted, and they all turned to see the older council woman at the microphone.
“Lady Regent.” Robin’s father instinctively bowed his head, though he stopped when he noticed his daughter giving him a confused glance.
With a wave of her hand, Lady Regent had all of the soldiers aiming their guns into the arena, ready to take down all of the slaves along with Robin. Some in the stands were aiming at Valerie, which would have made Robin want to laugh if she weren’t so worried for her parents.
“These vampires have come here to destroy our city!” Lady Regent shouted into the microphone. “They have killed the other council members, and if they aren’t stopped, they’ll devour us all!”
Shouts of panic continued, but some had turned at this, erupting with rage. Apparently this woman had some sway over these people.
“Wrong!” Valerie shouted from the stands, voice carrying with almost as much power as if she were using the microphone. “We’ve uncovered a plot by this woman to overthrow your council with the help of evil vampires, the ones we call Forsaken. But we would have overthrown the council regardless, so…” She turned to the lady. “I have to thank you, and now kindly ask you to step down.”
Lady Regent laughed, motioning at all the soldiers with guns, at all the people in the stands. “These are my people. They will follow me into death.”
“Is that so?” Valerie took a few steps down the stands as she spoke. “Are the slaves your people too? How about those you have tossed into the slums?” Valerie raised her hands, and the people hushed. “There is no room for elite and slaves in this new world. Your time has come. The people of Toro…no, Toronto, have a choice to make.” She turned to address the crowd, slaves and others alike. “Do you choose to live under her whip, or stand in a world where justice is paramount, where there are no slaves, no men or women like her telling you that you are lesser humans? You make the choice!”
A long silence followed, during which Robin imagined everyone was deciding where they belonged, which side they would take.
“Who is she?” Robin’s mom asked, almost in a whisper.
“My dear friend,” Robin replied, feeling a chill of excitement run through her arms. “
“Then we’re with her.” Her dad stepped forward, metal bar raised, as he shouted, “We won’t live in your chains any longer!”
Others cheered and charged even as shots were fired into the crowd of slaves. But soon the direction of the shooting had changed as some soldiers fired on the others. Robin spotted Brody leading the counterattack and then saw Martha again, tackling a soldier and pulling his gun free. She tossed him from the stands.
Lady Regent glared and took a step back from the stage, signaling. A line of those metal turtles formed before her, and then she was running.
Valerie was gone in a flash, followed by a spray of blood. The turtles drifted aside, since the soldiers operating them were dead. Slaves ran forward to take them over and turned on any soldiers who tried to make a move, while Valerie ran after Lady Regent.
A moment later, a loud oomph sounded, followed by a shape flying through the air and landing with a thud and a small bounce not far from Robin.
Valerie was there a moment later, and when everyone saw that it was Lady Regent who had been thrown and now lay on the ground struggling to pick herself up, the other fighting came to a
halt.
“This is the leader who betrayed you,” Valerie informed them, standing beside Robin. “Your other leaders are dead or dying; she saw to that. But now you can all lead together. We’re not here to tell you how to run this place. We tell you only that you will not take slaves, and you will try to live to the best of your ability in ways that help rather than hurt those around you.” She turned to Robin. “This woman, my friend, was taken by vampires against her will, and made into one. That does not make her evil. Her parents were also taken and sold into slavery, and now they are together again.”
A cheer rose from the slaves, with some cheering scattered throughout other parts of the crowd as well.
Valerie nodded, then added, “I would ask your permission to let her determine this woman’s fate.”
Robin’s heart skipped a beat. She looked at Valerie in confusion, but only got a smile of confidence in return.
When silence followed, Valerie turned to Robin and held out a hand. “What’ll it be?”
Robin looked at her mom and dad, then at the woman on the ground. Lady Regent glared back with gritted teeth, blood starting to seep out of her arm where the fall had broken a bone.
This woman was broken, the city no longer hers.
As much as Robin wanted revenge, that wasn’t her way. She stepped forward, projecting her voice as Valerie had done. “You will be imprisoned. Your days manipulating others are done, and any here who attempt to follow your path will join you. We will launch an investigation to find those who would attempt to break you free, and they will join you as well. Does this work for everyone?”
Shouts of agreement rose, and Robin turned back to her parents, relieved that was over.
Her mom smiled and held out her arms, then froze. The smile turned to a shout of “No!”
As Robin spun, she heard the click of the pistol and saw the explosion as the bullet left the chamber, and then Valerie was there, swatting the bullet aside with the back of her hand.
In an instant she was on Lady Regent, teeth bared at her neck, eyes glowing red.
“Are you still certain?” Valerie asked. “Because if you’ve changed your mind…”