Howl at the Moon 17/?
Title: Howl at the Moon 17/?
Series: TDS, Countdown w/ KO.
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Language, Violence
Disclaimer: I do not own Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Keith Olbermann, Rachel Maddow, or any known political figures who appear in this story.
Summary: AU. Sequel to Rage at the Moon
Life seems to be going well for the werewolf pack of seven. Then comes the call from the leader of the French werewolves. What does he want, and what will he do to get it from our werewolves?
Author's Note: Please comment. Feedback is good.
Also, shout-out to my lovely beta tigris18
One / Two / Three / Four / Five / Six / Seven / Eight / Nine / Ten / Eleven / Twelve / Thirteen / Fourteen / Fifteen / Sixteen
Chapter 17
“I really don’t understand why you don’t just tell me what I want to know,” Raniero shrugged.
It was now Day Two, and Keith and Dan were just as determined to stay quiet about whatever the vampire inquired about as they had been yesterday.
“I mean, really, is all this worth it?” Raniero inquired before punching Dan’s chest.
Dan wheezed from the blow, which was made more painful by the thin metal chain wrapped around the vampire’s hand. Despite how aristocratic Raniero seemed, he had no problem with getting dirty with his prisoners’ blood.
“What is it that you really want?”
Dan coughed out blood from his mouth. “W-we told you. Nego-“ Another wheezing cough. “Negotiation.”
“As I’ve said before, I don’t believe that.”
Keith groaned in frustration. “But it’s the truth. That’s all we’re here for. We don’t want to kill you, or kidnap you, or take you hostage.”
“The incredible part of that statement is that you expect me to believe it. Please, I know how you animals are. Once an animal, always an animal.” Raniero stepped back and studied the two helpless werewolves. “I have come to the conclusion that working on both of you at the same time would be best. I’ve already told Giovanni to come help me out. What he lacks in finesse, he makes up for with… enthusiasm.”
Dan let his head drop forward. The blow to his chest was still affecting his breathing.
“Is that surrender I sense?” Raniero asked.
Dan raised his head and put on a brave face. “No. Not surrender.” He clenched his hands into fists to stop them from shaking. If Giovanni’s style was anything close to Beck’s… Dan focused back to the present. Now was not the time to go down that particular train of thought again.
“We won’t have to wait long. He should be here in a few moments. In the meantime, are you sure there’s nothing you want to tell me?”
“We’ve been through this before, with you and with another group of vampires. We’re not giving in. We’re telling you the truth. All we want to do is talk.”
“You keep on talking, but I don’t hear anything I care about.”
Keith and Dan fell silent. They didn’t know how to get through to Raniero. He didn’t believe that they wanted to negotiate, and even if he did decide that they were sincere, he wasn’t going to negotiate with them.
A short moment later, the door opened. A man in a long, black, hooded coat walked in. The hood was pulled up over his head, obscuring his entire face, except for his mouth.
“Ah, there you are, Giovanni.” Raniero took a quick glance to him. “I must say, I like the outfit. Very appropriate.”
Giovanni didn’t verbally respond. He only nodded instead. His silence made Keith and Dan only feel more intimidated. But, there was something about the way he moved…
“I know it’s been awhile since you’ve punished a wolf,” Raniero said. “Shall I… warm them up a little for you?” The vampire raised the fist wrapped in the chain, intent on bringing it down on Dan’s head.
Dan flinched, but the blow never came.
“Che l’inferno?” was Raniero’s reaction to the hand that stopped the blow by seizing his wrist. “You’re not-“ He ducked the punch aimed at his face.
Keith and Dan could only watch the fight unfold between Raniero and the hooded vampire.
Raniero had just enough time to pull a dagger from his belt before the next attack came. He got a swipe across the other man’s jaw with it. The stranger didn’t give any attention to that and got a strike to Raniero’s face with his elbow.
The mysterious man dodged the other stabs of the knife. He kneed Raniero in the stomach. Keith and Dan bent over to prevent being hit when Raniero was thrown over them. The stranger went over too, because Raniero’s hand was tightly grasping his forearm.
The two vampires wrestled for dominance. Raniero still had the dagger, managing to stab the other man in the thigh and slice across his bicep in the struggle.
The stranger didn’t let up, but was still bested in the end. At least, until Raniero took out another dagger and brought them both down to his head.
That second of Raniero taking out the other blade gave the hooded man enough time to roll out of the way. He and the other vampire got to their feet at the same time.
“Who are you?” Raniero demanded.
The hooded man didn’t answer. He pounced for the daggers in Ranerio’s hands, and was successful in grabbing one before spinning out of the way.
The two vampires circled each other, sizing the other up. The hooded one slightly limped from the wound in his thigh. Raniero sneered, “Coward, you won’t even show your face.”
The other vampire kept his silence. Raniero made the first move, going for a stab to the other man’s stomach. The stranger was barely able to block it with his knife in time.
“Who are you?” Raniero tried again. “Why are you here?”
The hooded vampire lunged forward to strike the side of Raniero’s head with the handle of his dagger. Raniero moved to the side, the stranger put his leg out, and tripped the other man.
Raniero grabbed the stranger’s sleeve to stop himself from falling. His weight yanked them both down. Both vampires raised their knives at the same time, and they both froze when they hit the ground.
There was a moment of tense silence. A gurgling sound came from Raniero’s throat. Blood was coughed up past his lips. The stranger suddenly crawled backwards, revealing what had happened.
Somehow, both daggers had ended up impaled in Raniero. One through his heart, and the other through his collarbone. The veins in his forehead and neck throbbed. “T-traitor…” was the last thing he said.
The stranger covered his mouth with his trembling hand and pushed his hood off.
“Shepard?” Keith and Dan asked from surprise.
Shepard didn’t respond. He stayed rooted to that spot, his eyes on the dead vampire leader bleeding in front of him. “What have I done?” came the whisper.
“Shepard!” Dan nearly shouted. He softened his voice when their friend tore his eyes away from the body and looked to them. “Shep, there will be time to think about this later. Right now, we’ve got to get out of here.”
Shepard turned his gaze back to Raniero and wiped his hand over his mouth, still in shock. It took him a moment to focus on something other than the dead body in front of him. He reached for the key on the other vampire’s belt and unlocked the handcuffs restraining the werewolves to the chairs. His hands trembled.
Keith and Dan rubbed at their raw wrists and stretched their legs for a quick moment before pulling Shepard into a tight hug. Shepard stiffened, then awkwardly patted their backs.
“I’d ask why you’re here now, but we have to go now,” Keith said. He grabbed his and Dan’s backpacks from the corner of the room. “What’s the best way out?”
“I… uh, I kind of walked in through the front door,” was Shepard’s answer.
“Well, I don’t think we’re going to be able to do that,” Dan remarked.
Shepard took a short minute to think. Keith and Dan sensed when he put Raniero’s death behind him, at least for the moment. “I’ve got it. Let’s go.”
Dan stopped Shepard from taking another step and inquired, “Are you okay? He got you in the thigh and arm. Across the face, too.”
Shepard looked down at himself, his eyebrows furrowed, as though noticing the resulting pain and blood for the first time. He dismissively wiped at the gash across his jaw. “Yeah… I’m fine. Come on.”
It didn’t take long for them to be spotted by other vampires walking around the compound once they left the room. None of the three of them were in prime condition for a fight, especially with such bad odds as this would be.
They ran for it, Shepard leading the way. Alarms blared, which only spurred the three of them to further push their bodies to go faster.
Shepard shoved open a side door. He chanced a glance back. They were going to have a tough time running from all these vampires. He could only hope that they were up to it.
They made it out the door and started running through the streets, avoiding knocking over as many people as they could in their escape. Italian words were shouted at them, from the pedestrians and the vampires giving chase.
Hands grabbed at the three of them as they passed an alley. Shepard smelled the vampire and struggled to get out of the grip. Keith and Dan said, “Shep, they’re friends. You can trust them.”
Shepard didn’t have time to question his friends’ judgment and trusted them. They were taken to a van and shoved into the back.
“Stay quiet,” Dario warned before he shut the door.
Keith, Dan, and Shepard didn’t have to be told twice, and stayed as silent as they possibly could. Alfeo and Dario acted inconspicuously outside, not giving the pursuing vampires any reason to stop to investigate.
Alfeo visibly sighed in relief when the group of vampires passed. He and his brother got into the front of the van and waited a minute before turning on the engine and driving.
“You three alright back there?” Dario inquired, keeping his eyes on the road as he drove.
“We’re lucky you showed up when you did. Thank you,” Keith answered.
“You’re welcome,” Alfeo replied, turning to look at them. “Who’s your friend?”
“Shepard, this is Alfeo and Dario, the brothers who helped us get to Rome. Alfeo, Dario, this is Shepard, a good friend of ours,” Keith introduced.
Shepard was quiet, staring down at his blood-stained hands, absorbed in his own thoughts about what had happened at the compound.
Dan told the brothers, “If we can stop soon after we leave the city, can we do that?”
“Why?” inquired Dario.
“So that Keith and I can change. And so that we can take care of Shepard’s wounds.” Dan could feel that anti-transformation drug beginning to wear off.
“Yes, we can do that,” Dario said.
Keith and Dan relaxed and sat on either side of Shepard as they made their successful escape, hidden in the back of the van.
Series: TDS, Countdown w/ KO.
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Language, Violence
Disclaimer: I do not own Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Keith Olbermann, Rachel Maddow, or any known political figures who appear in this story.
Summary: AU. Sequel to Rage at the Moon
Life seems to be going well for the werewolf pack of seven. Then comes the call from the leader of the French werewolves. What does he want, and what will he do to get it from our werewolves?
Author's Note: Please comment. Feedback is good.
Also, shout-out to my lovely beta tigris18
One / Two / Three / Four / Five / Six / Seven / Eight / Nine / Ten / Eleven / Twelve / Thirteen / Fourteen / Fifteen / Sixteen
Chapter 17
“I really don’t understand why you don’t just tell me what I want to know,” Raniero shrugged.
It was now Day Two, and Keith and Dan were just as determined to stay quiet about whatever the vampire inquired about as they had been yesterday.
“I mean, really, is all this worth it?” Raniero inquired before punching Dan’s chest.
Dan wheezed from the blow, which was made more painful by the thin metal chain wrapped around the vampire’s hand. Despite how aristocratic Raniero seemed, he had no problem with getting dirty with his prisoners’ blood.
“What is it that you really want?”
Dan coughed out blood from his mouth. “W-we told you. Nego-“ Another wheezing cough. “Negotiation.”
“As I’ve said before, I don’t believe that.”
Keith groaned in frustration. “But it’s the truth. That’s all we’re here for. We don’t want to kill you, or kidnap you, or take you hostage.”
“The incredible part of that statement is that you expect me to believe it. Please, I know how you animals are. Once an animal, always an animal.” Raniero stepped back and studied the two helpless werewolves. “I have come to the conclusion that working on both of you at the same time would be best. I’ve already told Giovanni to come help me out. What he lacks in finesse, he makes up for with… enthusiasm.”
Dan let his head drop forward. The blow to his chest was still affecting his breathing.
“Is that surrender I sense?” Raniero asked.
Dan raised his head and put on a brave face. “No. Not surrender.” He clenched his hands into fists to stop them from shaking. If Giovanni’s style was anything close to Beck’s… Dan focused back to the present. Now was not the time to go down that particular train of thought again.
“We won’t have to wait long. He should be here in a few moments. In the meantime, are you sure there’s nothing you want to tell me?”
“We’ve been through this before, with you and with another group of vampires. We’re not giving in. We’re telling you the truth. All we want to do is talk.”
“You keep on talking, but I don’t hear anything I care about.”
Keith and Dan fell silent. They didn’t know how to get through to Raniero. He didn’t believe that they wanted to negotiate, and even if he did decide that they were sincere, he wasn’t going to negotiate with them.
A short moment later, the door opened. A man in a long, black, hooded coat walked in. The hood was pulled up over his head, obscuring his entire face, except for his mouth.
“Ah, there you are, Giovanni.” Raniero took a quick glance to him. “I must say, I like the outfit. Very appropriate.”
Giovanni didn’t verbally respond. He only nodded instead. His silence made Keith and Dan only feel more intimidated. But, there was something about the way he moved…
“I know it’s been awhile since you’ve punished a wolf,” Raniero said. “Shall I… warm them up a little for you?” The vampire raised the fist wrapped in the chain, intent on bringing it down on Dan’s head.
Dan flinched, but the blow never came.
“Che l’inferno?” was Raniero’s reaction to the hand that stopped the blow by seizing his wrist. “You’re not-“ He ducked the punch aimed at his face.
Keith and Dan could only watch the fight unfold between Raniero and the hooded vampire.
Raniero had just enough time to pull a dagger from his belt before the next attack came. He got a swipe across the other man’s jaw with it. The stranger didn’t give any attention to that and got a strike to Raniero’s face with his elbow.
The mysterious man dodged the other stabs of the knife. He kneed Raniero in the stomach. Keith and Dan bent over to prevent being hit when Raniero was thrown over them. The stranger went over too, because Raniero’s hand was tightly grasping his forearm.
The two vampires wrestled for dominance. Raniero still had the dagger, managing to stab the other man in the thigh and slice across his bicep in the struggle.
The stranger didn’t let up, but was still bested in the end. At least, until Raniero took out another dagger and brought them both down to his head.
That second of Raniero taking out the other blade gave the hooded man enough time to roll out of the way. He and the other vampire got to their feet at the same time.
“Who are you?” Raniero demanded.
The hooded man didn’t answer. He pounced for the daggers in Ranerio’s hands, and was successful in grabbing one before spinning out of the way.
The two vampires circled each other, sizing the other up. The hooded one slightly limped from the wound in his thigh. Raniero sneered, “Coward, you won’t even show your face.”
The other vampire kept his silence. Raniero made the first move, going for a stab to the other man’s stomach. The stranger was barely able to block it with his knife in time.
“Who are you?” Raniero tried again. “Why are you here?”
The hooded vampire lunged forward to strike the side of Raniero’s head with the handle of his dagger. Raniero moved to the side, the stranger put his leg out, and tripped the other man.
Raniero grabbed the stranger’s sleeve to stop himself from falling. His weight yanked them both down. Both vampires raised their knives at the same time, and they both froze when they hit the ground.
There was a moment of tense silence. A gurgling sound came from Raniero’s throat. Blood was coughed up past his lips. The stranger suddenly crawled backwards, revealing what had happened.
Somehow, both daggers had ended up impaled in Raniero. One through his heart, and the other through his collarbone. The veins in his forehead and neck throbbed. “T-traitor…” was the last thing he said.
The stranger covered his mouth with his trembling hand and pushed his hood off.
“Shepard?” Keith and Dan asked from surprise.
Shepard didn’t respond. He stayed rooted to that spot, his eyes on the dead vampire leader bleeding in front of him. “What have I done?” came the whisper.
“Shepard!” Dan nearly shouted. He softened his voice when their friend tore his eyes away from the body and looked to them. “Shep, there will be time to think about this later. Right now, we’ve got to get out of here.”
Shepard turned his gaze back to Raniero and wiped his hand over his mouth, still in shock. It took him a moment to focus on something other than the dead body in front of him. He reached for the key on the other vampire’s belt and unlocked the handcuffs restraining the werewolves to the chairs. His hands trembled.
Keith and Dan rubbed at their raw wrists and stretched their legs for a quick moment before pulling Shepard into a tight hug. Shepard stiffened, then awkwardly patted their backs.
“I’d ask why you’re here now, but we have to go now,” Keith said. He grabbed his and Dan’s backpacks from the corner of the room. “What’s the best way out?”
“I… uh, I kind of walked in through the front door,” was Shepard’s answer.
“Well, I don’t think we’re going to be able to do that,” Dan remarked.
Shepard took a short minute to think. Keith and Dan sensed when he put Raniero’s death behind him, at least for the moment. “I’ve got it. Let’s go.”
Dan stopped Shepard from taking another step and inquired, “Are you okay? He got you in the thigh and arm. Across the face, too.”
Shepard looked down at himself, his eyebrows furrowed, as though noticing the resulting pain and blood for the first time. He dismissively wiped at the gash across his jaw. “Yeah… I’m fine. Come on.”
It didn’t take long for them to be spotted by other vampires walking around the compound once they left the room. None of the three of them were in prime condition for a fight, especially with such bad odds as this would be.
They ran for it, Shepard leading the way. Alarms blared, which only spurred the three of them to further push their bodies to go faster.
Shepard shoved open a side door. He chanced a glance back. They were going to have a tough time running from all these vampires. He could only hope that they were up to it.
They made it out the door and started running through the streets, avoiding knocking over as many people as they could in their escape. Italian words were shouted at them, from the pedestrians and the vampires giving chase.
Hands grabbed at the three of them as they passed an alley. Shepard smelled the vampire and struggled to get out of the grip. Keith and Dan said, “Shep, they’re friends. You can trust them.”
Shepard didn’t have time to question his friends’ judgment and trusted them. They were taken to a van and shoved into the back.
“Stay quiet,” Dario warned before he shut the door.
Keith, Dan, and Shepard didn’t have to be told twice, and stayed as silent as they possibly could. Alfeo and Dario acted inconspicuously outside, not giving the pursuing vampires any reason to stop to investigate.
Alfeo visibly sighed in relief when the group of vampires passed. He and his brother got into the front of the van and waited a minute before turning on the engine and driving.
“You three alright back there?” Dario inquired, keeping his eyes on the road as he drove.
“We’re lucky you showed up when you did. Thank you,” Keith answered.
“You’re welcome,” Alfeo replied, turning to look at them. “Who’s your friend?”
“Shepard, this is Alfeo and Dario, the brothers who helped us get to Rome. Alfeo, Dario, this is Shepard, a good friend of ours,” Keith introduced.
Shepard was quiet, staring down at his blood-stained hands, absorbed in his own thoughts about what had happened at the compound.
Dan told the brothers, “If we can stop soon after we leave the city, can we do that?”
“Why?” inquired Dario.
“So that Keith and I can change. And so that we can take care of Shepard’s wounds.” Dan could feel that anti-transformation drug beginning to wear off.
“Yes, we can do that,” Dario said.
Keith and Dan relaxed and sat on either side of Shepard as they made their successful escape, hidden in the back of the van.