4:15 AM
"I hate this $(*&%$%(& interface," muttered the nocker as he stared at the computer monitor.
"So call up the options menu and tweak it," the Virtual Adept replied as he scrolled down his own screen.
"I think he just likes to complain," murmured the GlassWalker as he pounded on the keyboard in front of him.
"Please, gentleman," the Philodox exhorted, rubbing his forehead. "Let's stick to the task at hand. We only have an hour left."
For another 45 minutes there was only the sound of keyboard clicks and the occasional swear word. (Most frequently by the nocker's terminal.) Then one by one the three hackers leaned away from their stations, each with their own smug look of satisfaction. Off to one side several printers began spitting out names and addresses of vampire accomplices and shadow company finance statements.
"Well," said the Adept rubbing his hands, "Now that we've hamstrung the leeches' finances, how about a quick game of 'Quake'?"
"You're on," growled the GlassWalker.
7:35 AM
It was a large building, holding important offices and expensive apartments. It also had a vampire living in the basement. He was, like many others of his type, dug in very deep. The Mage looked at the building from her office in another tall building and waited. The vampire's building's fire alarm had been tripped and the people who lived in the building were streaming out. When this went down there would be some fireman inside the building, but she knew they wouldn't be hurt unless they were Wyrm tainted. Then they would hurt for a very short period of time...
She looked to the sky and waited for a large cloud to come by. Her office phone rang twice and then fell silent -- the signal to start. She raised her hands and felt the power raised by the other four mages in other buildings close by. A bolt of lightning leaped from the cloud and struck the building. Blue light pulsed down the framework of the build and went far into the very depths of the building, bringing with it a cleansing and brilliant light...
8:10 am
In an industrial part of town a warehouse had been taken over by the Sabbat. Outside the warehouse stood a sorcerer and a homid Garou Theurge. They set up a chant, discordant and wavering. The wind began to pick up in time with the rising and falling of their sound. As the chant reached a sudden crescendo the wind gusted fiercely and ripped the roof clean off and landing it neatly in a deserted parking lot. Screams could be heard from within the building as all were exposed to the clean morning sunlight.
"Now that's what I call team work," the sorcerer remarked, "I could have never done that myself."
"I might have, but it would have taken me longer," admitted the Garou. He surveyed the wreckage. "That'll take care of a lot of them, but there'll be more dug in deep."
"We'll be right behind you."
The Garou smiled, "A good place to be with us."
Together they ran off to join the war party.
8:15
Victoria had been smart. There were multiple escape routes from her main lair, and when her hold was attacked she took the one leading to the subway tunnels where she could hide out or just take the train away from the action. She wrinkled her nose at a strange stench as she moved down the tunnel.
"Goin' somewhere?" a voice whispered.
Startled, she spun around, her teeth bared. She hadn't been around for a hundred years without a little fighting. Out of the shadows stepped a queer-looking man with large eyes.
"Oh no, you're not going anywhere," he whispered.
Then another man stepped forward, "Not until you meet..." he said ominously, "some of our friends."
The shadows leaped at her. Ghosts and phantoms came gibbering out of the walls. "You killed us, Victoria..." they shrieked while they bit and clawed at her. She hissed and struck back but could not land a blow on her ethereal foes.
Unable to harm her attackers, she ran down the tunnels while the sluagh and the Euthanatos chuckled in the dark. "Who's waiting for her at the other end?" the death mage asked.
"Pookas," the sluagh chortled, "Lots of pookas..."
"You know, I could have taken her," the mage replied.
"Save your energy," the sluagh whispered. "There's another leech just up this way..."
9:05
Dan Harrison exited his BMW and made his way to his private elevator to his office. Inside, a fresh cup of coffee and a danish awaited him. As he sipped his Columbian roast he turned on the television for the latest business news. The video showed police officers leading away three men in suits.
"... and there have been several other arrests at Pentex headquarters along with a massive seizure of documents..."
Dan's coffee went flying across his desk.
"...detailing massive fraud, theft and murder," the announcer continued. "Along with numerous and gross violations of EPA regulations..."
Dan paled at the news. If they connected him with Pentex and the embarrassing chemical spills at his plant he knew the police would be coming for him very soon. Just then, a knock on his heavy oak door told him how soon...
All across the city of Boston, a cleanup was underway. Mage, Fae, and Garou had joined forces in a massive operation to cleanse BeanTown of the Wyrm. As the foundations were kicked open to expose the rot within, many were surprised at how deep it went -- but all were determined to root it out.
10:45 PM
Art ran from shadow to shadow, hoping to escape. A normal person would have been panting from exertion, but he'd stopped breathing years ago. Everywhere he looked his fellow vampires were being killed. Even the most powerful had been felled. A few surviving ghouls spoke of Garou, Mages and strange people whose faces were too brilliant to look at. He didn't know what to make of it, but he had to get out of town.
He paused at a bank ATM and punched up his account. It beeped at him and the screen told him that the account didn't exist. Art swore as he entered a second card and tapped in the number for his other account. The terminal beeped and he sighed in relief as he withdrew the maximum amount.
As he walked away he considered his options. He could catch a bus, or a train, or simply steal a car... but his thoughts were interrupted by a soft clicking sound. He turned just in time to see a huge, shaggy dog padding his way, its toenails clicking on the hard pavement. It regarded him with gray, intelligent eyes.
"Shit," he muttered and started to run. He didn't get far before the dog caught up... but it didn't attack him. It pushed him with its bulk onto another street, and it dogged him, snapping at his heels until he found himself in a dead-end alley.
"I've been herded..." he said just before jagged teeth and long claws made short work of his extended unlife.
Jessie shifted into her human form and rummaged around in the remains. She pulled out his wallet and his folded his money into her jacket.
"Thank ye for makin' a donation to the Boston Humane Society," she said. Then she removed his watch. With a grunt she hoisted what was left into a nearby dumpster. "Here, ye kin join the rest of yer friends," she drawled and quietly closed the lid.
A large dog wandered into the alley. "Woofrf?"
"Two more!" she grinned. "Ah told ya the ATMs would be a gold mine!"
"Woof!" The dog danced before her.
"Really? Well let me slip inta somethin' more comfortable and I'll join ya."
A moment later two dogs - a mastif mix and a border collie/lab mix - shot out of the alleyway. The Wyrm could run, but it couldn't hide...
The next day, 11:30 AM
"Hey there," Jessie said as she sat by the bed, "tired of sleepin' yet?"
Gilda looked up through her bandages. "Oh man, Jessie. That last guy had a shotgun with silver loads." She sat up slowly. "I don't think I'm going anywhere fast."
"Well, here's somethin' to cheer ye up," and rolled up the sleeves on her jacket. "Ta-da! Ah gots me some trophies."
Gilda blinked. "You took their watches?!"
"Sure! Whadda think Ah'd take? Skulls?" she chortled.
"Looky here," she pointed to a group of the watches on her arm. "Ah got these outside one of them ATM machines. Didn't have to hunt them down or nothin'."
"And we all made it!" Jessie crowed. "Crystal's arm got mauled but she's okay. Ray came away without a scratch again. Eric's laid up pretty bad but he'll get lots of sexy scars outta it. Freddie's still out in the Umbra somewhere but he sent word back that's he's okay. Ah jest got a little scratch on my ass."
"Jessie... I need to rest..." and collapsed back onto the bed. "Go on... shoo... let me sleep."
Jessie gently pressed her face against Gilda's and whined softly.
"No. Ah want to stay here," she gently laid her head on her packmate's chest. "It's where Ah belong."