Chapter Text
"Alone. Yes, that's the key word, the most awful word in the English tongue. Murder doesn't hold a candle to it and hell is only a poor synonym."
― Stephen King
L.A. surprisingly, made me feel less alone. I could sense several of my kind and it was comforting in a way. I was watching the god-awful concert in the college Quad from the roof. I felt something behind me. I pulled out my knife and spun around.
"Who are you?" I heard a voice ask. I saw a figure that looked like a cheap eldritch abomination.
"You first and you got something here." I said, spinning my hand around the entirety of my face.
"I know." He smirked "It doesn't work like that. You are in my domain." he said.
"Alice. Now will you please tell me your name?" I asked, an almost pout on my lips.
"Jasper. What Clan?" he asked.
"What?" I asked, head cocked.
"Not another one." he sighed he pulls out a flip phone and types something.
"You are the first of our kind that I've spoken to for more than two seconds before trying to kill them, usually succeeding." I said.
"How old are you?"
"What year is it? 2018? About 30-35 years. I assume that's what you're asking." I said.
"How have you survived so long?"
"I was kind of a badass as a human. I figured some of the legends were true. I broke into blood banks and got blood when I needed it."
"I'm impressed." his phone buzzed and he read the text.
"Follow me. The others want to meet you." he said.
"Ok. Lead on." I said. I texted Carver and let him know that the Griffith college group was granting me an audience and I'd let him know how his Childe was doing. I put my phone in lockdown before following him.
Jasper got us into the building.
"This is so obvious and mob-boss-like." I said as soon as I walked in.
"How so?" Jasper asked.
"you obviously haven't lived in Gotham." I said.
"You have?" he asked.
"It's very easy to hide in that cesspool." I said.
"I can respect that." he said as the elevator opened to the floor.
"Who's that?" Carver's Childe asked.
"My name is Alice. I've been on my own since the 1980s. I know next to nothing about this society or any rules."
"Ok. Alice, First things first Why are you in L.A.?" the obvious leader said.
"I like big cities, It's easier to hide. L.A. was just another stop." I said.
"She's mentioned living in Gotham." Jasper said.
"Yeah. That's who I was texting by the way if you were wondering. A contact of mine in Gotham. He offered me a night-time bartending gig. I told him it wasn't in the cards for me right now. He knows nothing. He thinks I'm just a drifter." I said.
"Alright why didn't your sire teach you?" He asked.
"I kinda ran off. What I remember is leaving a carnival. Then someone sinking his fangs into my neck. As I was blacking out I heard a woman murmuring that everything was going to be fine. I woke up, got scared and ran." I shrugged.
"seriously. You're chill about this?" the Childe asked.
"Sweetie if you want to survive in this shithole of a world you have to adapt or you die. If I ever met the bastard who killed me I'd slit his throat and make him bleed out. I ever meet that nice lady who saved my dumb ass I'd kiss her." I then winked at the other female.
"Darling what is up with your outfit?" she said. I looked down. I was wearing my usual high waisted jeans and a tank-top under a leather jacket.
"What's wrong with it?" I said, offended.
"So much. I can't even start." she said.
"You do realize I've been constantly on the move for 30 years. I could very easily be wearing clothes from the 80s." I said, almost challenging her to say more.
"She's right." Jasper said.
"I could also look like a hobo." I said.
"True." she said.
"So we need to figure out what clan you belong to." the leader tried to take the conversation back.
"I know I can do some sort of magic." I then prick my finger with my claw and smear the blood onto my talisman and allow myself to blend in with the wall behind me.
"So you're either a Assamite or a Tremere." Jasper said.
"What's the difference?" I asked.
"Assamites are assassins and have a tendency to drink other Kindred dry, which is very taboo. Tremere are kind of witches." the leader said.
"Ok. Sounds very racist and sketchy but fine." I said.
"Where are you staying?" he asked.
"No where really. I mean I break into abandoned and condemned houses and stay the night. Though I do have an apartment in Gotham. I was planning on trying to find a place when I heard that band and got curious."
"Ok so first things first we need to get you a place to stay. Then we need to get you to see the Tremere. They can help you. I'll give Eva a call about you." He said.
"I'll take her." Jasper said.
"Be careful. Remember what happened last time." the leader said.
"Great talk but I left my dufflebag on the roof. In that dufflebag is everything I own So before we go I need to get it." I said.
"Alright. I'll make the call. Be careful." the leader said.
"We will." Jasper said.
We went to the roof and got the dufflebag. I pulled one of my special guns out and handed it to him.
"Just in case of trouble. Give it back when we're in the clear." I said.
"What is it?"
"It's a Colt. I stole it from the Men Of Letters when they tried to use it to kill me about 5 months ago. I got this that day." I ran my fingers over the scar on my cheek. "I stole two. It's fully loaded. Don't shoot yourself or me." I pulled out the other and tucked it into my belt.
"Men Of Letters?"
"Basically they gather information on things like us and are determined to exterminate us. They're hunter-scholars. Annoying as all hell." I said.
"Oh."
"There's a branch based in Kansas and I have an agreement with the brothers that run it. They're my nephews or were before I died." I said.
"You contacted them?"
"More like I wasn't very careful and they caught me. They found out who and what I was and let me go." I said.
"Hunters let you go?"
"They're not your average hunters." I said.
"Obviously." Jasper said.
We walked to the parking garage.
"You do know how to drive?"
"Yes. I'm not an idiot."
"Are you sure?"
"I died when I was 23 not thirteen."
"Ok."
"And I have stolen a few cars before and after I died."
Jasper looked surprised.
"Most people think I'd never do something like that in a million years. They're always surprised when I stab them in the back." I said.
Jasper smiled and threw the keys to me. When we got into the car he vanished.
"Jasper?"
"I'm here." his voice came from the seat.
"Can I learn how to do that?"
"We'll find out. Drive." Jasper said.