Friday January 16th 2015

Walking into the cafeteria, Cesare watched Anastasia out of the corner of his eye. Things had changed since they’d had their confrontation, it was measured in the space between them. She hadn’t touched him outside of training since that night, avoiding him with an unconscious grace as painful as it was planned. He wasn’t the only one to notice, but where he endured with the ease of long practice, Alexandra watched with mixed emotions.

The vampire was stuck between a longing to twist the akatharton’s head off for hurting him and joyousness tempered with ruthless practicality. Cesare never knew what he’d find in her eyes, the blood-soaked stare of a predator or the cold practicality of a soldier.

Pushing open the door, they froze on the threshold of the cafeteria. Across the walls were the raw imaginings of man's diseased fantasies. Anal, oral, vaginal, and gang bangs, it was the vomit of man’s soul. Blurry faced men gangbanged Anastasia, her mouth a gaping sore of wanton need. Bent over and splayed open, her every intimacy given away. It was the Mona Lisa used as toilet paper, the statue of David as a rack for used condoms. The beauty of nature turned into the wanton hungers of the civilized mind.

Without thought, Cesare gripped Anastasia’s shoulder, pulling her into a tight hug as she buried her face in his chest. He swept the cafeteria with a hate-filled glare. Students ducked their heads, fear riding their eyes hard, the stories that plagued the trio flashing through their minds.

Grabbing their stuff, the kids made for the door. Skittering around the group, they bolted into the hall without a backward look. The room emptied of everyone except the trio and the silent workers collecting the discarded trays.

“Cesare … I never … You have to believe me; I’ve never done anything like that.” Anastasia’s words were muffled and broken from his jacket.

Running his hand down her back, his eyes ran over the pictures. “I never thought you had.” Whoever had done this would’ve been careful, which meant the only clue they had would be the pictures.

“We could question the staff,” Alexandra said, eyes narrowing as she watched them work.

“Not yet. Whoever put these up had power backing them. Anyone talking, won’t be this side of the grave long.” Alexandra raised an eyebrow in question. “I’m not squeamish, I just prefer looking at other options first. Besides, I have some … ideas.”

Alexandra nodded, satisfied he wasn’t going soft on her. If needed, Cesare would take every worker here and flay them alive for answers. No one got away with fucking with his people. If that meant there were innocent causalities, then that was what would happen. But he didn’t think it would come to that, not yet.

“Let’s get these down.” At his words, Anastasia left his arms with a quickness just this side of rude. Being hugged by him was the last thing she wanted, despite the comfort he offered.

Alexandra watched the hasty departure with cold eyes. “They didn’t just put them here. Taking them down will only add blood to the water.”

Cesare’s eyes were trained on Anastasia as she tore the fliers down. “I know. But we can’t leave them up.”

Shrugging, the vampire made for the wall closest to her. “It’s your call, commander.”

It turned out to be easier said than done. Whoever had put them up had used cheap paper and expensive glue, everyone of them left streaks of paper behind. People trickled in as they worked, students’ eyes jumping to the walls in anticipation.

Cesare dropped the last one onto the pile under the eyes of the room. Everyone watched, either openly or out of the corner of their eyes as they pretended to eat. “Burn them,” Cesare ordered.

Anastasia nodded, hands flowing with greedy black flame. With a gesture of contempt, the ravenous flame shot down in a flash of spiteful darkness, consuming the fliers in a blaze of hate. A wash of blistering heat blasted across the room, ruffling hair and scorching skin. Only a few ashes remained of the obscenity.

“You will be found.” He held the eyes that dared to face him with glaring spite. The words filled the stillness that had come over the cafeteria. “You will be punished, and you will regret this day more than any other.” Kids flinched at the bared hatred in his voice, a shiver jittering through them. He was nothing, a homeless boy who spent the first months of school smelling like shit and being kicked around. But those rumors never quite went away.

In their protected alcove of power, the teachers looked at each other in question. They hadn’t seen the papers or heard the rumors. All they knew was that something had happened, something bad enough to make their most volatile of students threaten the school.

The trio retired to their table after getting their food. Taking their seats, Cesare and Anastasia waited for Alexandra.

My Lord God

You who are the creator of life and the holder of justice

Your staff guarded the people through the desert

With your power the waters parted

With your love, the people were fed

Lord God, your power has crushed nations and condemned millions

I beg of you to let the infidels who have violated this place come into my hands

Let your Butcher make an offering of their flesh

Amen

Cesare didn’t pause but then he never did. “Amen.” It was spoken with the fervent belief of a man converted, at least for a day. Cesare's hand covered Alexandra’s. “Thank you.” Words were pathetic, sickly things, unable to tell her how much her support meant, yet they were all he had.

Flushing, a dangerous sheen of excited eagerness flashed in her eyes. “I’m on your side, until the blood runs dry in my veins, commander.”

Anastasia watched the two with a calculating glitter to her eyes. That was nothing compared to the startled, fearful looks that went around the cafeteria. It was one thing to get threatened by a nobody like Cesare, and quite another to face the homicidal Christian.

Tense and ready, Cesare kept watch as they walked to class. Whoever organized this campaign wouldn't stop with one hit. This was designed to destroy Anastasia, undermine her confidence and erode her sense of self. Calculated to devour her from the inside before she even stepped foot in the arena.

Moving with the lethal grace of a lion expecting gazelles to ambush at any moment, Alexandra took the lead at every corner. There was a lazy humor about her, an apex predator walking through its territory as prey huddled, planning and plotting to do her in. She was hard death on a short leash, fear running before her in waves as students stuttered to a stop on meeting her before quickly backing away with their eyes on the floor. She didn’t command fear, so much as treat it as her bitch to play with when bored.

Miss Raven gave them a single look as they entered class, waiting for the click of the door before starting. “The faculty was informed about the pictures. While we don’t think you’re the person depicted, the fact remains that it’s an excellent likeness and given your … proportions.... well, lets say it's going to be hard to refute the allegations.” Anastasia glared at the teacher. “Jerold wants to wait until we can prove it isn’t you before starting an investigation into who the perpetrators are. He believes this could be a publicity stunt on your part.”

Swinging around, Anastasia’s kick unfurled with bone breaking force, shattering the desk in a storm of bent metal and wood chips. “Fucking ASSHOLE! This fucks everything up! Forget becoming a lawyer with this on my record, imagine what they’ll do when they find this shit on the net. In one swoop, they’ve fucked my life!” Heat exploded off her, rage fueling the fire that was never far from the surface, not when they were brutally training her to integrate with the Ebon Flame.

Walking into the scorching heat, Cesare closed the distance between them. Normally he'd try to calm her down with touch but with her shying away he settled for words. “We’re not beaten. Lots of celebrities have fake porn on the net. If we want to win, we have to find the people behind it and make them confess.”

Anastasia’s eyes narrowed as black embers flashed across their stygian depths. “That won’t be enough. If it was, you’d already have picked an idiot to frame.”

His smile was a crimson razor slash. “You’re right. We need them to come forward, but we also need the details, so they’re believed. How’d they do it? Who’s the woman? Why? Anything less and you’ll go through life smeared with shit.”

Nodding, she looked at the splintered desk in chagrin. “I’m guessing I’m going to have pay for that.”

Miss Raven gave her a frosty glare. “You bet your ass you’re paying for it. You might want to start acting the part of Lady Kali’s daughter, instead of just enjoying its perks. You need more than strength to be a lady, you need to comport yourself with grace and control.” Her gesture took in the desk and the anger that had fired its destruction. “I expect this from a petulant child, not a lady of breeding.”

Anastasia wilted under the scornful tone but acknowledged Miss Raven’s point with a nod. Retrieving a new desk from next door, she cleaned the mess she’d made, quietly refusing Cesare’s offer of help. Watching the exchange, Miss Raven gave a grim nod of approval.

Everything was back to normal by the time the students trickled in, the drama unfolding behind a closed door with the truth known to the few. No matter their internal issues, the four were a unit. The pressure of being surrounded by enemies had welded them together. None of them had chosen the people in this room. The world had forced them together as the only way to survive the cutting eyes, poisoned tongues, grasping fingers, and wanton needs of the hungry things that surrounded them.

While the trio huddled together, working on the small assignments given out to everyone, the rest of the class was deep in their projects. The presentation was a big part of the final grade, they could blow off a lot of small assignments if they scored on the big one. That wasn’t an option for the three of them, they had to get every bit of grade they could from the scraps Miss Raven threw them.

They were an armed encampment as they cut through the hallways. Cesare and the vampire bracketing Anastasia between them. Alexandra cut the corners wide, giving her space to react when the ambush they knew was coming hit. When she stilled in mid-motion on the final stretch to the cafeteria, Cesare knew it was time. His switchblade fell into his hand, finger poised over the release.

Anastasia stuttered to a stop, taking an involuntary step back into Cesare with a barely audible whimper. Rounding the corner, Cesare saw what had knocked her back.

Casually talking and gossiping, the girls littered the hallway. Malicious smiles and slicing eyes put the lie to the scene. Clear mason jars of water weighed down their hands, looking like the acid that had revealed Anastasia’s tortured beauty.

Hesitating a brief, eternal second, Cesare set his hand against Anastasia’s back. It wouldn’t be seen by the girls and it was a far cry from what he wanted, but it got her moving. Mustering courage with an effort that left sweat beading along her forehead, she pushed forward.

With a nod, Alexandra stepped in front of the akatharton, the dangerous set to her shoulders sending kids scurrying out of her way. There was a promise there that no one wanted to push. With Alexandra as the point of the spear, the little harpies would make a play for the flanks and through Cesare.

The moment flowered from within him, his senses collapsing and expanding in a second of trained instinct. His territory manifested, the bubble of mastery encompassing Anastasia as he stepped into her space. Its protection was an invisible thing surrounding the dangerous girl. The world shattered into crystalline seconds.

The Kundalini coiled around him, luxuriating in the holy fire of his hateful rage. Raising itself at his unspoken need, the serpent stretched up to the hearth fire of his Root Chakra. Arching above the glowing sun, the Kundalini’s hood flared open, incandescently white scales shining down on the four petaled lotus. Its leaves slowly unfurled, blessing Cesare with a surge of primal strength.

In the middle of the hallway, surrounded and hidden from view, they struck. He felt the tearing of the membrane that was the border of his consciousness. A thousand clues turned his body, his being focusing on the girl gripping her jar differently. Intent on Anastasia, she didn’t see Cesare, her hand shifting in preparation to throw the liquid at the akatharton.

Gliding across the ground, his foot blurred, taking the girl in her stomach. Doubling over, the girl vomited. The mason jar hit the ground in an explosion of shattered glass. The splash of liquid jumped across the girl’s bare legs, turning them red as the liquid reacted with flesh.

Still in motion, his leg went vertical, coming down with the finality of a headsman ax. Hitting the back of her head, his heel rocketed her face first into the puddle of chunky vomit, nose snapping on the stone floor. The deep thumping sound reverberated in the hallway.

Students jerked back at the brutal attack, staring at the revealed animal where the fool had lived. Never taking their eyes off him, they drew away with small, broken steps, flowing toward each other until they clumped into small packs. They were bound in fear of the sudden savagery that had taken over their prank. No looks or hands were spared for the broken, vomit covered thing terrifyingly still at Cesare’s feet.

“A price is paid when you violate what’s mine.” His foot came down on the prone girl’s shoulder, bone creaked under pressure, the wet breaking sounded loud in the pregnant silence of the hall. The brutalness of the scene broke the kid's trance, sending them fleeing down the corridor.

Cesare flipped the girl over with his foot, her broken arm flopping grotesquely across her stomach. Vomit plastered her face and chest, streaking cheeks in chunky streams. What he’d thought was acid was a red dye that reacted with skin. No pity stirred Cesare’s heart as he looked at the stupid thing. She’d chosen the wrong side, and that was any side that wasn’t Cesare’s. You didn’t pity your enemy, there could be no mercy in your heart on the battlefield. Cesare saved his pity for himself and those that he cared about; not nameless pawns caught in games they couldn’t understand.

“Let’s go. They’ll know something happened, but she has too much to lose to tell them the truth. But if we’re found here, they won’t need much to pin it on us.” The girls nodded as they put distance between themselves and the girl’s unconscious body.

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