Log:The Baron's Court

2021/07/20 Radical The Baron Mari Tyler Noah Haidar 1

After not having heard from or seen Mari for a while, Radical began to do some investigating. Mari wasn't answering and texts from him since he last saw her. Visiting her place, the lights were out and there was no answer at the door. Going to their old haunts, Mari was no where to be found.

Going to a bar called the Library, Connor settles into their old seat and privately casts his spell in search of her string and finds...nothing to grasp, magically speaking. All he really senses is a fragment of a thread that feels more like an echo of one of fate's strings. Not dead and ended. This thread has been altered from it's life's course and is hard to follow and trace back.

So instead, he focuses on this spot. The seats they'd often take by the warm fireplace. During the summer, it's not kept lit. He traces back to the history of this place. Couples come and go, friends, other groups, but no Mari. In fact, as he keeps tracing back, no Mari until he relives their last meeting, but from an outsider's perspective, watching their final exchange with a less clouded view from being in the moment. The Library bar gives no clues about her present location, and that was back in February. It seems that was the last time she went to the Library.

After checking a few places, he finally catches a glimpse of her at one of her old haunts at a dive club two weeks ago, still in the guise of Justine, but falling back to her more punk attire and attending a music show. She's alone, and mingles with the mortals around her, but seems disconnected from it all. There's a small montage that time jumps around of her at the bar, her near the stage watching the show, her talking to a man in a dark corner, her mingling just off the dance floor. Then her eyes catch a glimpse of Poe and her other friends, but she turns away before they can spot her or recognize her, and she leaves immediately before they can discover her new identity. Things get hazy, and it's hard to keep track of her once she's outside of the club. The vision ends.

Connor decides to check the Baron's mansion in Colonial Heights. First, he goes near the gate as if he's walking past...and use his retrocognition near the gate, just to see who went in and out.

As Connor innocently walks past, he does sense Mari entering past the gate and into the mansion about...he thinks...nine days ago. IF his vague vision hasn't skipped a day or two in the rewind. She leaves that same night, a few hours later, looking deeply concerned about something as she passes out the gates. She hasn't been back since.

Next, Connor decides to return later and step into another dimension as Radical...and then peer across the dimensions at whoever might be on the grounds. At night.

Slipping into an adjacent dimension to spy, he does sense a man at the door in a fine dark suit and long black hair. He looks of middle eastern descent, but very pale. Unnaturally so. He's standing guard, which Radical is certain he was not the last time he was here, nor the time in the vision. This guard posting is new. Within there are several people in a large interior ballroom. The decor of the mansion is gothic rococo with black wood and gold accents. The ballroom has been converted into some sort of socializing room, but also feels like someone holding court. Wine glasses with dark red liquid are set upon golden trays. There are ornate, vintage furniture and rugs scattered, with the handful of people holding private conversations in different corners. No windows in this room, but light by chandelier. It's decadent. And feels decayed, aesthetically.

A man with glasses, dressed in geek-chic tech genius style apparel with slacks and a light sweater over a button up shirt is talking to a female. She is lithe, pale, with a features that are severe yet beautiful. She's got short brown hair that doesn't go past her ears, slicked back. There's an androgynous quality to her european features. She wears a white dress shirt with frills that harken back to...either the 1980's or the 1780's, with stylish tan slacks. The man is saying, "Another's gone missing. We haven't found their ashes yet, but my resources may have finally narrowed down his feeding grounds."

The woman looks cool and domineering. "But you haven't discovered it yet, or you'd be telling me where it is."

Radical keeps watching. This will likely been the dangerous area that Mari might have been sent to check out. Patience is a virtue sometimes.

"N-no, Baron, I haven't," the man says nervously.

The Baron holds out her hand expectantly off to her side, palm up and fingers lightly spread. Someone quickly brings a tray of wine glasses over and places one with a dark red liquid in her awaiting grasp. "And you haven't because the last few times we sent someone to investigate your leads, they went missing, and we were no closer to finding this killer. Maybe -you- should check the work of your resources yourself."

The tech vampire looks like he's just been given a death sentence. "But....you need me, Baron. I...could run numbers again. Send some humans this time..."

Radical gives it another second or two, to see if the region is revealed. Otherwise, he's going to have to go to the gate. Crossing the barrier inside the room would be very big mistake.

"And risk them finding out about us? No...I think you've had me send enough of my court to their Final Deaths to find the others who were missing. It's your turn to prove your theories, Noah," the Baron decrees. Others in the room are watching, some with concern, others with delight at the fate of Noah. He looks the most modern in the group. The region has yet to be spoken.

"Baron, please..." Noah starts.

The Baron takes a sip of her blood. "You're still here." She fixes Noah with a gaze. He falls silent, bows, and begins to back away obediently.

Radical sighs...and he considers his options. He could just intercept Noah. But it might be better to just put this in the open. He makes his way to where the gate is, and he crosses over, appearing in front of the gate.

Radical heads up to the gate and hits the call button.

The callbox speaker buzzes with a voice after a few seconds. "Who are you?" it asks accusingly. There are security cameras at a place such as this.

Radical nods. "My name is Radical. I need to speak to the Baron. It's about her...problem."

There's some pause after his explanation. After a bit, a response comes. "What problem? What do you know? How do you know about this place?" the voice interrogates.

Radical looks at the camera. "I'm a wizard. I know things. You also don't want me talking about it on the street."

Another pause to confer with someone. "Come in," the shrewd voice says. The gate buzzes lightly and the locking mechanism unclicks. A paved path lies before him, with a few scattered steps that lead up to the front door and its guard.

Radical nods, "Thank you." He walks up the path, making a point to not teleport at all. After all, it might put the guards on edge even more. And it would reveal something to the vampires which he might not want to reveal.

The guard of middle eastern descent watches Radical walk up the steps. Somehow something must've been communicated to him, as he steps aside and opens the door for him. His piercing gaze doesn't leave Radical the entire time.

Radical nods to the guard, "Thank you, sir." He steps inside and looks around.

Inside, another vampire awaits. It's one of the college students he helped before. One that couldn't be made human again. "It's you! Umm...wow. Come this way. I'll lead you to the Court," she says and leads Radical through the mansion he just spied upon.

Radical nods. "Thank you." He follows along. "I'm guessing the court knows about me to some degree already?"

The young neonate shakes her head. "No. Mari never told them about you," she whispers. "She made us promise not to say anything, too."

Radical takes a deep breath and nods. "Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."

The neonate nods and you both come up to some closed double doors. "Mari didn't want him to use her to use you. She looks uncomfortable, hesitating, then reaches for the doors and opens them both up wide and steps in. For a college student, she's showing some level of decorum you don't see these days. She steps aside to the left and turns around to face Radical again, then motions him into the room with a sweeping arm. She went from casual and normal on their walk here to rigid and poised.

The Baron is being whispered to by a worm of a man, older and with an accountant vibe. She waves him away. "What brings a Wizard to my court?" she says to Radical directly. Radical can tell there are now more guards in the ballroom then there were when he was spying. They're armed, but not holding their weapons.

Radical steps inside, and bows slightly to the Baron. Enough to show respect, but not subservience. He also gets right to the point after he straigthens up. "Baron, I know that you are having difficulty with those of your number being attacked. I am here to assist you, as it seems you need such. I need only the area you believe that your attacker might be found."

The Baron's reaction is unreadable from centuries of practice. "A wizard come to pledge his service to me?" Some of the tension from the guards ease. S/he beckons him closer with a single finger. The genderfluid Baron has been referred to by he/him pronouns in the past. "I can't help but wonder why."

Radical steps closer. "Our interests align at this time. I am not pledging myself in service. I am offering assistance - as someone outside your power structure." He pauses, and adds, "I am not the sort to view your people as enemies outright. I realize that my kind may have done so historically, but times change."

Radical goes ahead and uses his magic sight while he's at it. Just in case there's something here to spot along those lines. Better safe than sorry.

The Baron studies Radical's mask, unable to pierce what lies beneath. "Some of us still remember the old days, and the old days were not so long ago. But with new generations, perhaps...there's a chance." There aren't any magical spells at work in this room. "My interest is protecting my Kind. What's yours?"

Radical thinks about it for a long moment before he says, "Protecting a friend." Yes, it's pretty obvious he's holding back the name.

The Baron looks intensely curious at that, forming their own suspicions. "That is motivating. Very well. You only wish a location? I assume you know what you're dealing with?"

Radical nods, "I do not know what I am dealing with, so whatever details you have would be helpful. I need only the location, but every detail you give makes the endeavor more likely to be successful. Knowledge is power, after all."

"As the old adage goes." The Baron takes a step up to a raised platform against the head of the room and sits down in a high backed chair that evokes the idea of a throne. They cross their legs and take a sip from their wine glass. "Someone has been kidnapping vampires and bleeding them dry. It started with a few outsides. Not part of my court. One or two. Then some of my flock began to disappear. And that cannot go unanswered. Those that went to investigate have also not returned. Five went missing, and the ashes of three have been found in various places in the city; abandoned safehouses. Our resident modernist, Mr. Blum, will provide you with what his surveillance tech has found as the next potential location." They lean back and say aside to an attendant, "Fetch Noah back here."

The Attendant nods, and with supernatural speed, races out of the room.

Radical nods slowly as he thinks about it. "The ones you found that were bled dry...how were they bled? Was it another vampire? Someone just slicing them with a blade?"

"They were dust when they were found, identified only by their possessions that still remained. But the mess of dried blood at the first few scenes were...messy. We suspect some sort of weapon rather than one of our own kind," The Baron answers. "The latest kill room was clean."

Radical tilts his head, "That is a curious detail. I will need the exact locations of each kill. Presumably Mr. Blum can provide that?"

The attendant returns, escorting Noah, who looks relieved to be recalled. The Baron motions to Noah, who returned in time to hear that last request of Radical's. He nods eagerly. "Yes! Certainly. I can share that data," he says quickly.

Radical nods to Noah. "Thank you."

Noah quickly pulls out a mini tablet (or is that a large smartphone?) and begins swiping to pull up some addresses. "Do you have a device I can airdrop this to?"

Radical thinks about it, and nods. "I do." He pulls out the PDA that he uses for his hero work.

Noah taps a few things and Radical gets an alert to accept transfer of Map locations for this map app.

Radical accepts the transfer, and looks at the locations to see if there is a pattern or general region. "You believe there is another potential location based on your analysis of surveillance?"

They're all commercial properties, usually ones that are closed at night. As for the pattern of where they are, they seem to follow the north and west of Colonial Bay, staying long the fringes and away from the heart of the city.

Radical nods to himself as he looks at the pattern. He then looks to Noah to see if he has anything additional to add, based on his last question.

Noah points out the location marker in Industrial Park. "There's some shuttered businesses at the east end. I was able to use my resources to catch the suspected vehicle heading this way. My guess is one of those buildings would provide the solitude required to do his business and be...unheard," he explains uncomfortably.

Radical nods. "When was the vehicle seen most recently? And what kind of vehicle is it?"

Noah looks uncomfortable. "Early in the morning. Too close to dawn to search."

Radical nods. "This past morning?"

Noah nods. "Yes."

The Baron adds, "And since Isabelle has not returned to court this eve, we must assume this killer has her."

Radical nods. "I'll start in that area, then. Isabelle might still be able to be rescued, depending on the killer's intentions."

The Baron steeples their fingers together. "If you return her and deal with this murderer, the Court shall owe you a favor," they offer to sweeten the pot for their own desired outcome in this.

Radical nods and bows slightly to the Baron. "Thank you." He then straigthens up again. "Anything further that I should know before I go investigate in person?"

The Baron swirls their blood in the glass. "I thought a wizard know things. We suspect it is another misguided Vampire Slayer come to town, perhaps attracted by our recent...troubles. A Vampire Slayer is uniquely equipped to deal with our kind. But a wizard? You shouldn't be especially vulnerable."

Radical chuckles quietly. "I do know things. But it is a sign of wisdom to know that there is always something more to learn. Always." He nods. "I'm sure that a stake would be just as much of a problem for me as it would be for you. But at least daylight won't be a problem."

The Baron smiles faintly. "A stake to the heart is just as deadly for the living, true. And daylight will be a problem if your search takes you most of the night."

Radical nods. "I shall take my leave, then. Thank you for your willingness to let me help you."

The Baron makes a motion to dismiss Radical. How magnanimous of them. "I am sure a wizard such as yourself can see your own way out."

Radical nods. And he decides that a show of power is necessary. He raises a hand dramatically...and his body seems to fall apart into a series of black leaves...which then in turn disappear after a second as he crosses dimensional boundaries.

Once in the dimension he was using to spy on them, he waits a second or two just to see if comments are made by the Baron.

That gets the response Radical was probably looking for. All of the remaining members of the Court are gossiping and gasping about the wizard's exit. Even the Baron, as much as they tried to remain unflappable with a show of control, lifts their head and straightens up a bit in their chair. Her lips move just barely, a whisper to herself that probably only Radical is aware of. "How...intriguing. And polite enough to not leave a mess." They smile after. Then her smile resolves to that impassioned expression again as they sip their blood.

Radical teleports several times, getting over to the area of town in question...before he crosses back over to his own dimension.

This leaves Radical at the starting section of the older part of the Industrial Park. There's plenty of new and high tech industries in the park, especially the newer construction to the north. But the buildings near the estimated markings from Noah are much older. Older than Radical. Maybe even a bit older than Randal. Which means less infrastructure and more old school companies out here. The lights are all out save for the street lights, as these buildings are closed during the night, if they're even still in business. It's hard to tell if they're in disrepair due to age or completely derelict. There's Sunland Industries, which has a large yard with sorted piles of rock, gravel, and slate for construction companies. Taiwan Offshore Producers, which has a giant warehouse and loading docks, the exterior of the building is of metal. A & D Industrial looks like some metal processing plant, or was. There's a bunch of junk in its yard, but the plant itself is large, about three stories. And then there's Glacier Artic Colonial Bay. But the yellowed sign that may once have been lit, they provide "premium quality ice", but certainly don't look like they match their tagline.

Radical teleports beyond fences, looking to check out buildings, starting with Sunland. That would be the perfect location, if the hunter had some kind of sense of humor about it all. As he gets close, he decides to go with the same method he used with the mansion. Sidestep into another dimension...and then use dimensional sight to look back at the building in question. And then repeat with each building as necessary.

There are a few buildings on the grounds of Sunland Industries. The closes two are trailers that are being used as temporary offices, but they're empty. There's some giant pieces of machinery to help move about the larger piles of rock, left as they were when shift ended, whenever that last was. The main building with most of the equipment that grinds the gravel is sizeable. Peeking through dimensions, he doesn't see anyone inside. But he does notice a van with blacked out windows parked and hidden away on the farside of the building away from the street, and stairs leading down to a basement level. Some of the machinery conveyer belts and mechanisms even go through parts of the open floor and into the basement.

Radical checks the van first. Then he intends to check the basement, which will require the dimension he's in to ALSO have a basement.

The van is unattended, locked, and empty. But there's a large dufflebag and some water bottles laying in the back.

Radical crosses over and teleports into the van to check the dufflebag.

The bag is filled with wooden stakes, a crossbow with wooden bolts, a water pistol, a regular gun, and a tactical high powered flashlight fitted with a UV bulb.

Radical takes a photo of the gear with his PDA. He then teleports outside of it, and takes a photo of the van, before heading back toward the building. He looks for a dimension that has a basement in the building so he can snoop easily inside.

It takes a few minutes of searching, but he finds one with with a similar basement...but this place is populated with workers and the upper level layout is definitely different. Another few minutes, and he manages to find a place that looks similar, and with a matching basement without people around.

Radical nods to himself. Patience is a virtue. Though Mari might be in danger right now. So he does need to be pretty quick.

Radical picks out the dimension that has an apparent matching basement without people around. He teleports into the basement...and confirms that it's safe before he starts to look back around the dimensions to his home one and see if anyone is there.

It's dark in the alternate dimension. Pitch black, even. But fortunately Radical's tech doesn't put him in a solid object. Peering across dimensions to his prime dimension, it's hard to tell if the two are identical, as both are dark. But as he turns his head to the right, doubling back where the stairs are, he sees a dim light from under a door in another room. It causes the equipment down here to cast faint shadows as they're backlit from whatever light source is in the closed room.

Radical tries to head into the other room where the light would be in the dimension he's in, moving cautiously...and then he looks into his home dimension again...hopefully able to see in that room.

There's also a door in this dimension blocking his way...or it would be if it weren't off one hinge and tilted. It's enough to use his hands to feel around it and position himself so he can see into the room, and use his dimensional sight.

There room is lit by a large camping lantern. Another dufflebag like the one in the car is on the ground. There's a pile of dust near one vertical pipe, and tied to another vertical pipe is a female vampire with sunken, dried features...being drunk dry by a vampiric captor!

Radical crosses the dimensional barrier as quickly as he can...and hopefully catching the feeding vampire by surprise. He'll be vulnerable briefly.

The man drinking from the female vampire is a little lost in the act. Though he isn't aggressively enjoying it like one would expect. He pulls back to get some air, and coughs. "Yes...I can feel it working...!" He begins to go in to drink the last of his captive, but Radical's arrival gets his attention. But not before Radical can adjust from stepping across dimensions.

Radical grimaces, though it's not really visible through his mask. "Step. Away from her. Now."

The man whirls around as the voice makes it obvious where that strange sound was from. The lower half of his face is smeared with dark blood. He has the beginnings of fangs, and a knife in his hand used to help cut his victim, by the looks of it since his fangs aren't quite sharp enough. "You!" Tyler shouts accusingly. "You won't take it from me this time. I found another way," he chuckles in an unhinged manner.

Radical pauses, "I made the right choice. You're too unstable. I wonder...did you get the weaknesses, too?" He reaches out a hand and unleashes a blast of sunlight, making a point to make sure the line of fire won't hit the prisoner if he misses.

Tyler has benefited from the vampire blood with improved reflexes. He ducks enough to avoid it without having to give ground. "The power was mine! What gives you the right to decide who can have it and who can't?" he growls and lunges for Radical with the blade. He's much faster than a human now, too.

Radical is sliced...and the blade draws blood, through his armor. He places a hand against the wound for a brief moment.

Radical grimaces...and tries again, unleashing more sunlight at the vampire wannabe at close range.

The sunlight leaves him looking a little reddened, but not sunburned. And not flaming or sizzling as it should. He's not a vampire yet. Drinking vampire blood may make him a ghoul, but not a full vampire. Not without some sort of spell, or ritual. But drinking that much vampire blood may make him pretty flush with power, and long term it could extend his life to some degree. "You...bleed. I can smell what you are. You're not even one of us! You're just a human!" Tyler slashes wildly again with his knife.

Invalid value or CHA not set.

Radical is hit again, but this time, the armor picks it up entirely. "Yes. I'm just a human. And yet, I have more power than you do."

Radical raises his arm...and instead of using magic, he unleashes a singularity with his spatial distortion projector...again at close range.

This blast hits Tyler square in the chest as he begins to charge in for another attack. This sends him flying back and into some other metal pipes, which he bounces off of before falling on the floor. That stunned him, but doesn't seem to have broken anything. Blood does a body good!

Radical doesn't need to remain still or concentrate while using his gear. He steps up close to Tyler, and unleashes another singularity at his target while he's still down.

Tyler rolls out of the way, pushing himself up to his feet in the same motion. In his anger, he clenches his fist and punches toward Radical's face with an uppercut using the same hand holding his knife.

Radical is caught off guard...and he topples backward, landing on his back. . o O (Another hit like that, and I'm in real trouble.)

Radical springs to his feet...and unleashes another singularity at his target...but he uses both hands to widen the energy as it's released.

Tyler is just too fast, and is getting overconfident. "You may be flashy, but I'm the one with the real power!" he says as he raises his knife and tries to bring it down with both hands toward Radical's chest.

Radical attempts to block the incoming attack, and doesn't manage it, but at least he avoids the attack cleanly.

Tyler snarls as Radical gets away. "I'll make you my first human feast! It'll be so fitting!" he raves as he tries to lodge the blade into Radical's side.

Radical releases another singularity at close range. He has to hit at SOME point. Is it just a lack of sleep? Concern about Mari? Isabelle?

Tyler is blasted back, but it only gives Radical a little breathing room. It could be the woman is distracting Radical. Her head hangs down and her face can't be seen, but there is still blood leaking away and not healing. Before Radical can determine more, Tyler is on him, having to lunch to cross the distance.

Radical takes the hit and manages to roll to his feet.

Radical feints charging at Tyler...but he realizes that he needs room to fight. He has range. Tyler doesn't, aside from a firearm. He teleports over to where the prisoner is...and puts a hand on her, attempting to teleport her upstairs with him, out of the basement..and hopefully into a lit area.

Tyler grins eagerly, intending to meet the charge. That grin falls as Radical suddenly teleports. Tyler whirls around, slashing wildly and expecting to be attacked from behind, giving Radical an opportunity to escape.

Radical reappears with the woman upstairs on the main floor of Sunland Industries. It's darker up here than it was on the lantern-lit basement. With the ropes no longer holding her up, the limp woman like a ragdoll in Radical's grip.

Radical says quietly, "It'll be okay. It'll be okay." If nothing else, he can get her to the Baron's place. He teleports again to try to get to the roof, with a view of the van outside.

The woman remains limp for a moment. Finally, a weak groan escapes.

While camped out on the rooftop, patience is a virtue. Tyler rushes out the building with his dufflebag over his back, heading to the van.

Radical goes ahead and takes the shot, using his singularity generator...attempting to put as much into it as he can.

Radical builds up a charge...and releases it at Tyler. The younger man is a killer. This is the practical side of Connor showing through. No need to be 'honorable' about this.

Tyler is caught by surprise and is smashes into the van, leaving a dent worthy of a superhero battle. He ricochets off and lands face up, unconscious. The vampire blood has made him hardy enough not to be turned into paste from that.

Radical teleports down to ground level with the former prisoner to check on Tyler. Once he sees that he's...'okay', he tries to heal the prisoner, using his magic, taking a few seconds to do so.

This rouses the captive vampire some, healing the wound on her neck. She's a little less like a husk, but is still looking like one of the dead rather than the undead. Even as she finally lifts her head up. Mari's face is less sunken, but still looks ghoulish from lack of blood. Her eyes are unfocused as she sniffs a few times, catching the fresh coppery scent from Radical's wound. Starved for blood, her beastial nature takes over and Mari instinctively lunges for him, fangs bared.

Radical tries to avoid Mari's fangs as best he can. After all, there's someone else here she can feed on.

Mari's teeth tries to sink into his neck, but the armored collar of his suit is enough to stop her fangs. She's more animal than human or vampire right now, making unintelligible hissing and growling sounds.

Radical's armor deals with it. "Mari. I'll get you some blood." He thinks about it...and uses his chaos magic...to generate a pool of blood for her to feed on.

Mari doesn't comprehend his assurances at the moment, the hunger consuming her after Tyler nearly consumed her. As his magic generates a feast for a vampire, Mari sniffs and turns her head away from his neck, then drops down on all fours and lowers her head down to drink voraciously. The more she feeds, the more her body starts to look closer to the living.

Radical nods to himself...and gets up, to deal with Tyler, while she's busy. He needs to get Tyler bound or secured. He looks for any kind of shackles or zip ties in Tyler's gear.

He had plenty of rope and paracord to use tie up his victims, plus larger zip ties. Radical has his choice as he secures Tyler.

After getting some blood in her again, Mari suddenly sits up and back on her heels with a ragged gasp, not for air, but of surprise and horror at what she's doing. She holds the back of her hand against her mouth as she shies away from the puddle of blood. Mari is a far cry from what Radical has been used to. Now the lower half of her face, neck, and chest are stained with blood. Some of it hers from what Tyler did, and some of it from the puddle and drinking like an animal at a watering hole.

Radical secures Tyler with paracord and zipties. He uses both. He then walks back over to where Mari is and says quietly, "I'm sorry. I had to think fast to create a way for you to feed. Something other than me, since your attacker was still right over there." He thumbs toward Tyler.

Mari tries to calm down, looking like she was about to go into a panic if he hadn't said something. "I...thought I...killed someone. I'm sorry...I wasn't..." she says. She still hasn't fed to completely restore her body to looking completely like one of the living, but at least she's fed enough to control her hunger.

Radical nods. "I bet that if I let you feed on me, you might have tried. It's okay. I understand." He takes a knee near her. "I had to speak with the Baron to be able to find you. They don't know that you and I are friends. Or at least...I hope that's still the case."

Mari is still in shock and disoriented. She looks around a little to try and see where she is, like she only just woke up and doesn't recall how she got out here. She looks back up at Radical as he talks to her. "Now you've seen the monster I am..." she says and covers her face with her bloodied hands, voice cracking with emotion. "The Baron can't know. They'll force me to use you or influence you."

Radical puts a hand on her shoulder. "I don't consider you a monster. You're a friend. And I did what was necessary to save you...because you're my friend."

Mari nods weakly, but can't bring herself to smile. "Thank you..."

Radical nods. "The question is...what do do with Tyler. It was that kid I changed back to human. I'm sure you recognized him. I'm inclined to let the Baron deal with it, using their...justice system."

"He...he recognized me. When he captured me. Made me watch...poor Isabelle..." Mari says weakly. "The Baron's justice will be harsh."

Radical nods. "Isabelle was the other one captured with you?"

Radical says, "I was wondering if it was another of your names."

Mari nods. "Isabelle was another vampire. Younger than me. She was captured after I was."

Radical nods to Mari, "If you want...justice for yourself, you can do so right now. I won't kill him myself. But if you feel that you need to, you can. Or we can turn him over to the Baron, which seems...just to me. It would be harsh, but a harsh punishment seems warranted."

Mari looks over at Tyler and thinks on it, but ultimately, she shakes her head no. "I...can't. We should take him to the Baron. Let them do it," she says weakly, still lacking for blood to be at full strength, since Tyler is still riding high on her own.

Radical nods...and leans over, putting his forehead against the top of her head. "I'm glad you're okay. I'm sorry you had to go through that."

Mari closes her eyes and starts to calm down as he does that, realizing it's finally over. "Thank you. I...I didn't think anyone was coming," she says in a trembling voice.

Radical takes a deep breath. "You're welcome. I am...really glad I arrived in time." He sits back. "We should get you back to the Baron. I'm assuming you'll be able to rest there?"

Mari nods slowly. "They'll be able to provide...more palatable refreshment." She looks down at her hands and chest, not realizing how the rest of her must look. "And a chance to clean up and send me home. If there's time. What time is it...? What day?" she asks. There's plenty of time left in the evening, but it's still late. Half past 1, making this now Saturday.

Radical nods. "One thirty. Saturday morning." He stands up, helping her to her feet. "I figure your people can deal with the van, and maybe the cleanup here. I didn't see any other prisoners down there. Well, other than the remains of Isabelle. Are there any others that you know about?"

Mari grips onto him weakly as he helps her up. "They'll take care of it. It was just me and her down there. But others had disappeared before and I suppose after I was taken," she sniffs. "We assumed they were all dead, but the Baron will find out from him."

Radical nods. "I suspect they are. Your people were finding remains all around, in several locations in the north and west outskirts of the city. I received data from Mr. Noah Blum about it." He leads her over to where Tyler is. "I'm going to have to transport all of us at once. Fair warning. I know you know how this feels."

Mari has to lean a little for support as they walk, nodding weakly. "I know. Just...don't let the Baron realize we're friends. They keep order in the city and among our kind, but it's better that they not know everything. As little as possible, really."

Radical nods. "The Baron might figure it out. If so...so be it. But I won't make it easy. Are you known in court as Mari?"

"Yes. But...call me Justine. To throw them off," Mari says after some thought.

Radical nods. "Got it. And we're going to meet again for a drink after this. Once you've recovered. My treat. I owe you an apology, after all." He doesn't word it like a question.

Mari looks at him uncertainly. "For what?"

Radical takes a deep breath. "For giving you the wrong impression previously. But I consider you a...very good friend. And I don't want to that up. If you'll excuse my language."

Mari is silent for a moment, then gives a little nod. "Okay. Drinks. Once I've regained my strength and have had a chance to feed a bit more."

Radical nods, "Good enough. Let's get you back to safety. Before Tyler wakes up." He reaches out and puts and hand on Tyler before transporting them to another dimension first, teleporting them several times to get to the equivalent of the Baron's home. This time, he doesn't wait to go through the gate. They would draw more attention on the street. He crosses over from the other dimension onto the grounds, but just outside the front door.

This surprises the front guard. The same Persian man as before. He reaches inside his jacket and bares his teeth before he recognizes Mari. "Haidar, stop," Mari says weakly. Haidar looks surprised, looks toward the gate, then opens the front door. "Inside! Quickly!"

Radical nods...and teleports the three of them inside the building into the foyer. "Thank you."

Haidar looks a bit alarmed. He closes the door, remaining on guard outside. The entry hall is large and quiet, aside from the ticking of clocks and a surprised scuffle from a side room. It's Noah. "You're back. So...so my information was correct," he says with some eagerness as he walks over, but he halts abruptly as he sees the state Mari's in and Tyler. "Mari...? We thought you were dead. And Isabelle?"

Mari merely shakes her head with a sad expression.

Radical nods to Noah, "Definitely accurate. There is a location that needs to be cleaned up. A pool of blood outside the building, which I had to create to save Justine here." He motions to Tyler, "And here is your culprit. He has a van parked near it, which will have a large...person-sized dent in it. I'll give you the location on your map."

Noah looks impressed, but hasn't realized Radical created the pool of blood with magic. "I'll notify the Cleaners. They'll take care of any evidence. Or...bodies," he says, studying Radical as he accepts the location share, then looks down at Tyler with contempt. "So this is the vampire killer? Court is over, but go to the ballroom. I will notify the Baron immediately. They won't want to wait."

Radical nods. "No bodies. I conjured the blood from thin air. But it will look pretty odd where it is, and create questions." He looks to Mari, "You okay to walk? Or should I get you there as well?"

Noah looks surprised. "You...can do that?" Gears turn.

Mari nods. "I think I can walk," she says, straigthening up. She takes a few steps. So long as she goes slow, she does alright, even if she's swaying a bit.

Radical nods to Noah, "I can, but it's only recently that I learned how to do so. It's a matter of altering reality." He makes it sound like it's no big deal. At least for him. He then picks up Tyler...and carries him along as he teleports a few times, keeping up with Mari.

Noah adjusts his glasses as he pretends like it's also no big deal, but clearly is. He turns away and starts calling the cleaners, giving out an address. "Clean the whole site. We have a van, blood, possible ashes," his voice trails off as they get further away.

Mari doesn't walk too fast. That may be too much for her. She opens the door and walks in. She clashes with the rococo finery of the room in her disheveled state. Her clothes are dirty and rumpled along with her hair. The Baron is at a comfortable chair, drinking from a glass and talking privately with two vampires. All the others from court are gone.

"My Baron, you have my deepest gratitude for orchestrating my rescue," Mari says in subservient tones, bowing shakily. Even though it was Radical who did all the work.

Radical sets Tyler down on the floor, and staigthens up again. He has some blood on his costume now, of course. Some of his own. Some of the conjured blood, too.

The Baron sniffs and sits up. "You've returned," they say, but addresses both. "We thought you had perished when you disappeared, like the others. Interesting that you were found alive." Mari looks down at her feet. It's clear Mari is intimidated by the Baron. Nervous. The other vampires fall silent as the Baron looks down at Tyler. "Is this the one?" she asks Radical.

Radical nods. "He is. He is...a human who was drinking vampire blood to try to gain power. His name is Tyler, and is a former CBSU student. I came upon him while he was attempting to drink Justine's blood. I was too late to save Isabelle, who was already ash when I arrived, as far as I can tell, based on what Justine told me."

The Baron gives an aristocratic nod and rises up from their chair. They walk slowly toward them, taking stock of all injuries. She looks back to Mari. "The others were found dead shortly after their disappearance. Why weren't you?"

Mari tenses. "I think he was saving me in reserve, my Baron."

The Baron's eyes narrow ever so slightly, and they look back down at Tyler. "A boy did all this?"

Radical doesn't say anything further, as he realizes he might end up contradicting Mari's prior story about what happened on campus previously.

The Baron holds out their half-filled wine to Mari without breaking eye contact with Tyler. "You're famished. Drink." They look to Radical. "And what was your personal stake in this?"

Radical is a terrible liar. And he knows it. So he keeps it to truth-adjacent and he's thankful that he's wearing a mask, "Very much personal. Making amends for past actions in my life." He pauses, and adds, "And to make sure justice was done."

Mari has accepted the glass, though Radical detects some hesitancy. "Th-thank you, my Baron." She drinks it like she's still famished, finishing it in one go and still craves more.

The Baron quirks a brow at Radical's answer. "Very curious. Some tortured soul's attempt at redemption?" they smirk at the idea. And they briefly glances at Mari before looking back to Radical.

Radical nods. "One could say that. It is important when dealing with beings from other dimensions to have a clean soul. Or...as clean as possible." Yes, a non-answer answer.

The Baron nods. They snap their fingers and at super speeds, the other two vampires are at their side. "Take this one from my sight. I want answers before carrying out final judgement," they intone. The other vampires nod and move to take Tyler away.

Radical has another moment of guilt. But this IS the best decision. And the most just. He doesn't do anything to stop them.

Tyler is taken away, thrown over the shoulder by one vampire before they both leave.

The Baron watches coldly, then looks back to Mari. "You can have Noah arrange a car to take you home. I trust you'll be able to to hunt the rest of your meals to sustain yourself. You may go." Mari hesitates when dismissed, which causes the Baron to observe her curiously. "Is there a problem?"

"N-no, my Baron. I am just still so very weak," Mari persuades the Baron. "Thank you for your generosity." Mari bows and walks out, trying hard not to look Radical's way as she does. But after she passes the Baron, she glances briefly at Radical with only her eyes before looking ahead again and exiting the room.

The Baron turns to Radical. "Since you managed to get one step closer to cleaning your soul, I suppose you do not require payment for your services?"

Radical shakes his head, "A bargain was struck, was it not? I am owed a favor. That is all. Nothing further beyond that."

The Baron nods. "A favor. Yes. You may request it now, or...do you intend to save it for another time?"

Radical nods slowly, "I shall save it for another time, as I am unprepared to make use of it right now." And he needs to spend some time considering what might be the best thing to ask for...if anything at all.

The Baron seems satisfied. "Very well. A favor is owed. Thank you for the service you've provided, and saving Justine." They give another one of their dismissive 'you may go' nods.

Radical bows slightly, "Thank you. Until next time." He pulls the same exact trick that he did last time as he departs, turning his body into black leaves...and then crossing dimensions. If nothing else, it hides his versatility with his magic.

Radical does wait after he crosses to lipread a bit...to see if anything is said about him. Or Tyler. Or Mari.

The Baron is alone in the room after his departure and smiles, entertained by the theatrics. They begin to walk out and head to one of rooms, calling out, "Someone gets me my tools."

Mari is by the entry way, a hand on a decorative pillar for support as Noah talks to her. "It's a...pleasant surprise seeing you alive," Noah says.

Mari frowns faintly. "Don't act too thrilled."

Radical sticks around to watch the interactions as Mari leaves. The interaction with Noah has him interested.

Noah pantomimes being wounded. "Just because you contribute so little and have so rarely been to Court over these past decades, you think I wouldn't be thrilled to see you alive and Isabelle gone?"

Mari scowls. "Your feelings for Isabelle weren't as secret as you think, even with me avoiding this place as much as I could." She sighs and rubs the bridge of her nose. "I'm not trying to rise up in the ranks, unlike some people. Is that ride here yet?" she asks in tired exasperation.

Noah's snark drops cold as Mari comments on his feelings, and his demeanor chills. "It's outside already--"

As soon as she hears it, Mari abruptly heads for the door, all too happy to leave the mansion.

Noah snorts as she departs. "The words you're looking for are 'Thank you'." The door closes behind Mari and she hurries as best she can in her state to a black car running with the lights on in the driveway. She opens the door and slides into the back. As soon as the door is closed, she slumps into her seat, closing her eyes in exhaustion. She doesn't even bother with the seatbelt. Wordlessly, the driver starts to drive off.

Radical thinks about it...and decides to try to follow as best he can, to make sure she gets home safely.

The car drives calmly and carefully. It's not going in the direction of the apartment Connor knew from when he and Mari were dating. The car finally pulls into an underground garage of a multi-floor apartment building in Downtown. Mari's lips move, saying "Can you help me to the elevator? I can make it the rest of the way."

The driver nods and gets out. First he goes to get a men's jacket in the trunk, then goes to open the door for Mari and gives her a hand to help her out. He puts the larger jacket over her to cover up the state of her clothes and supports her on the way to the elevator. This building is fancy. It uses face recognition to open the elevator. That's some security! The elevator doors ding and open after a minute, and Mari steps inside alone and turns to face the ghoul who helped her, holding onto the handrail for support. "Thanks. I can make it from here," she says, her voice heavy with exhaustion.

"Very good, ma'am," the ghoul driver says respectfully and heads back to the car.

Radical nods to himself. That's good enough. But he does make a note of the address in his PDA, with just the initial 'J' as the name.

Radical waits a few minutes. Just making sure that there wasn't someone following. Or someone inside to attack Mari. But assuming everything is okay...he heads home. Only once he's home does he actually heal his own wound.

Once the doors close on the elevator, Mari visible sags from exhaustion, having put up a strong front around the ghoul. There's no one lying in wait, and she gets to her apartment or condo without encountering anyone, and gets in safely.

Radical heads home...and heals his wound before cleaning up...and getting himself a drink. Scotch. And then a thought crosses his mind. He looks ahead into his future. The future is hazy, of course. But he looks along his own thread to see if there is any likely interaction with The Baron again any time soon. It's more difficult than normal, since The Baron doesn't have a 'thread' to see.

It's hard to tell by the strings, but he does see somewhere in the future, he's in the Court of the Baron once more. How far ahead is a bit uncertain, but it's not something vastly far off, and the circumstances are unclear.

Connor does see Mari as well, at the bar they've met at a few times. So that's good, at least. There's also a quick vision of speaking with Lazare. A fight with the Cartesian. Extra dimensional horrors tearing through space and time. And THEN the meeting again with The Baron.

A busy schedule ahead. And preparations to make. And maybe not the end of the world if the Baron comes after. That scotch must be looking very good, now that the evening is quiet once more.

Connor also makes a point of noting in his digital journal...about his interactions with the vampires. He makes a point to make sure that the only copy of it ends up in his sanctum. Just in case.

Connor doesn't sleep terribly soundly. Despite the booze. And despite Mari being safe. He's now on the vampires' radar, after all. Thankfully, the mask will help.

The usual creaks and groans of a house at night sound all the more ominous when one is on edge. Though with his teleportation and extradimensional tricks, it would take some sort sort of exceptional vampiric powers or magic to track him down way out in Green Acres. Eventually, sleep does take him, and he's left with unsettling dreams given the bloodied incidents of the night, and Tyler's mad ravings. The dreams seem to be a mix of horror and guilt.