[IC] Blood Games

[Jenny]

Dashia Markov



Dashia was always on the hunt for new fighters for her blood sport circuit. Her trip to New York City had proved to be beneficial. The teenage boy named Toby had survived being turned into a Lycan and he was proving to be a profitable fighter for her. Her brother Vladimir had told her that he had heard that there was another underground fight club, run by a Vampire named Claude, in Budapest. Apparently the man turned humans which made Dashia think that this Claude had to be fool. Although the Markovs considered themselves the most superior Coven in the world, when they traveled to other countries they respected the laws that the ruling Coven would place. Dashia knew that the leader of Viktor's old Coven, a woman named Topaz, had forbidden the turning of humans. Dashia and Egor decided to check out this fight club. Perhaps she would see a couple of fighters she couldlure away from Claude. To find where and when a fight was taking place took some money but Dashia had plenty of that. She and Egor were dressed in expensive black suits. Egor was essentially her slave but she treated him pretty well. He had fine foods to dine on, wore expensive clothing, and drove Dashia around in a very expensive sports car. Although it was often assumed that they had sex together, Dashia had never done that with Egor. He was the help and he was a Lycan. Lycans were just beasts and she would never share her body with an animal. Although her "animal" was a good bodyguard. They headed into the location of tonight's fight, ready to see if the trip to Budapest had been worth it.

[Monkey Kitty]

Claude



The fights would take place in an abandoned warehouse, dark and gloomy. Most of the setup was portable, including the ring, the cells, and the seats. All was in order, and they were ready to begin.

Although he looked as calm and smooth as ever, Claude was worried. He'd been worried ever since one of his fighters escaped, and every night he'd waited for the other shoe to drop and Topaz to find out about the game.

He hadn't just waited, of course. He'd moved his fighters immediately - something he did frequently anyway to avoid discovery. Claude had also had the other fighters beaten mercilessly just in case, so they'd know that if they tried to rebel they'd get even worse. Still, it didn't seem like enough. For the first time, he was doubting his own ability to keep this secret, and was starting to wonder if the whole thing was worth it.

Claude always dressed meticulously for the fights, and tonight was no exception; he wore a designer suit and silk shirt. He wanted to make clear in his appearance that he was in charge, not a lowly combatant. The Vampire surveyed the audience, and noted a good crowd tonight. A handful of Coven members who were willing to risk the wrath that would come if they were found, but mostly humans. Claude often wondered what the humans thought of all this. Did they buy his story about incredible special effects? Did it matter?

He frowned slightly as he noticed two newcomers. At least one looked like a Vampire. Was that a good or bad thing? He wanted word to spread so he'd make more money and gain notoriety... but only in certain lower-society circles. Claude certainly didn't want Topaz to find out. The other Coven members who were here would lose status and privileges if they were discovered. Claude, who had turned the combatants in blatant violation of the Coven's new law, knew his own life would be forfeit. All the more reason to avoid being found out.

Most nights, the adrenaline rush was worth it. Most nights...

In spite of his worried thoughts, Claude looked completely composed, even bored. He gave a signal to his two lackeys, and the first combatants were brought into the holding areas, where their shackles were removed. The two male Vampires who would fight were bared to the waist, and the exposed skin revealed the scars of both the fights they'd fought and the torture it took to get them out into the ring every night. At a second signal from Claude, the holding pen doors opened into the main ring. One fighter charged in, but the other held back. The lackey gave him a stinging lash with the whip he kept coiled around his wrist. The strike drew blood, and when the lackey calmly raised his hand again for another blow, the reluctant Vampire joined his opponent in the ring.

The fight was quick and furious, a rain of fists and feet, punctuated by hisses and bites. The crowded roared, and people cheered on their respective favourites. Claude watched approvingly. After a few minutes, the more reluctant Vampire was pinned, and his opponent bit his throat.

"Enough!" Claude called, and his lackeys pulled the two apart. They briefly examined each fighter for injuries. The victor received a thumbs up, and the loser a shake of the head. That meant one would survive to fight another day, and the other was too badly injured to be worth saving. Claude generally had minor wounds patched, but when the damage to the fighters would require bed rest, surgery, or time in a cast, they were simply killed and replaced. The fighter who had received the negative verdict was unceremoniously dragged to the back alley, while the winner was returned to his cell as the audience cheered for him.

There would be a brief intermission between bouts, so Claude made his way to speak to the couple he didn't recognize; he was pretty sure the woman was a Vampire, and the man was not. He addressed her since she seemed to be in charge.

"Welcome to my humble establishment," he said with a charming smile. "I hope you didn't have any trouble finding us?"

He wasn't really concerned about her comfort. Rather, he wanted to determine how she'd found about about the fighting ring, so he could make sure Topaz didn't find out the same way.

[Jenny]

Dashia Markov



The warehouse where the fight took place did not impress Dashia much. Sure her fights didn't take place in stadiums like legal sports did, but she did make an effort to have the locations look nice. She attracted people with money to burn and Claude could make more money if his fights weren't taking place in buildings that looked like hobos lived in them. Looking at the people who had also come to see the fight, she could tell that Claude wasn't trying to have the type of "fans" her sport drew out. These people looked to part of the lower society and normally a woman like Dashia would not even associate with them. It wasn't a bad fight but the people who came to her fights would have been disappointed. The matches she ran were to the death and were usually far more bloody. She'd let her fighters use weapons if they desired as well. She could tell the winner had talent and that he was wasting his talents fighting here. Egor looked bored, he had been to so many fights because of Dashia, it was getting to the point he had seen it all and nothing impressed him. He said nothing when Claude approached them during the intermission. Like an obedient dog, he stayed close to his mistress. Ready to attack if he thought Dashia was in danger. Dashia returned Claude's charming with one of her own.

Thank you. It did cost me some money to find the exact location. Although I'm slightly disappointed, I was hoping to see more blood.

[Monkey Kitty]

Claude



Claude inclined his head slightly in acknowledgment. "Yes, that wasn't much of a bout, was it? Very disappointing. One of the fighters was more... reluctant... than I might have hoped, so they didn't give you much of a show. I hope you'll be more satisfied with the coming rounds. We generally save our better fights for later in the program."

He had been displeased, and he saw no reason not to admit that to this customer. After all, he didn't want her to leave thinking that was the best he had to offer, or she might not pay to see future shows. The bottom line was, the behaviour of the combatants wasn't entirely under his control. Claude decided he would need to step up their training. Perhaps his expectations were unclear; he needed to make them fear him more than they feared each other.

"Unfortunately because of the political climate here in Budapest, entrepreneurs such as myself are forced to keep a low profile," Claude explained without emotion. "I have limited opportunities for recruitment, so I have to take what I can get in terms of fighters. Some do better than others. If I may be so bold as to ask, you seem to have some expertise in this field?"

Claude suspected that she was more than just the average customer, and if he was wrong, it was at least a flattering assumption.

[Jenny]

Dashia Markov



Dashia nodded her head that it was sad and told Claude.

It's always a shame when they are reluctant.

Although most her fighters quickly got over that, since if they did not they would be dead. The will to live brought out the best and worst in people. When he mentioned his troubles with recruitment, she replied.

Yes I have heard of the whole situation. It makes it difficult for business people such as ourselves.

She rarely recruited or had matches in Budapest because of the whole political situation. Although Topaz would have no reason to go after her, Dashia did not turn her fighters into Vampires. She had Egor for the task of turning humans into immortals. Dashia was aware of the community that seemed to have "issues" with people her line of work, so it was best to keep under the radar around here. She smiled at him when he picked up that she wasn't a normal customer.

You are correct. I run my own fighting circuit. We have matches all over the world and attract a very elite group of customers.

She lowered her voice though when she added.

My fighters fight to the death though.

And those fights to the death was what she knew attracted people to her matches. There were some very sick people out there who wanted to see people kill each other. She didn't really care about the reason why they were into that sort of thing, all she cared about was how much money she made.

Your winner had some real potential. It's a shame you have to keep a low profile in this city. I know of many other cities where such a thing is not as frowned upon.

[Monkey Kitty]

Claude



"I'm humbled to meet someone of your stature in the field, then," Claude replied in a tone that suggested nothing would ever really humble him, but he was interested in what she had to say.

Claude had no objection to fights to the death; the only reason he didn't demand that in his own fights was an entirely practical one. He ran five or six bouts a night, and he simply couldn't lose that many fighters in one shot because they were so difficult to replace in this town. He would put himself right out of business if he did as Dashia did... although in a more ideal world, he'd love to be able to.

"This city is certainly a limiting factor. I've thought of taking my little business elsewhere, but there are some small advantages to the location also."

He didn't want to tip his hand too much, but the biggest advantage was that, because Topaz trusted him, he was on the council that approved or denied requests to turn new Vampires. Occasionally - not often enough to arouse suspicion, of course - he would reject the suggestion of a promising potential recruit for some invented reason, then go turn the unfortunate human himself for his covert fights. Basically his place on the council meant that recommendations of suitable humans were just handed to him, rather than having to do his own legwork.

There was another factor, too, that Claude was less likely to admit, and that was that when it came to the basics of survival, he was a follower, not a leader. Yes, he'd organized this fighting ring... but from the protection of the Coven that Topaz did the work of maintaining. Claude was proud of his 'game,' but he didn't want his own coven, and he couldn't figure out a way to leave Budapest and escape Topaz's rules that wouldn't also deprive him of the services Topaz made sure her followers had access to.

"Perhaps someday," Claude said with a small smile. "Ah, I see they're ready to begin another bout."

He nodded, giving his permission for his lackeys to begin the match. This time both fighters charged into the ring; neither of them were first-timers, as the man who had been killed after the last fight had been.

The current fight would likely suit Dashia's tastes better. It was more prolonged, and resulted in a lot more injury. Within a few minutes, both fighters had large bleeding wounds, and the crowds cheered them on with even more enthusiasm the more they harmed each other. Claude smiled a pleased but cautious smile. Things were going better.

This time, Claude didn't have to call the end, because one fighter practically decapitated the other. The crowd rose to its feet, going wild. Perhaps they had really convinced themselves it was all just special effects, or perhaps they didn't care that a man had just died for their entertainment. Either way, they were thrilled.

Claude, however, had more mixed feelings. He was glad to see satisfied customers. It would increase his reputation in the underground circles, and would probably net him more money as word spread and more people wanted to attend his matches. On the other hand, though, he had just lost another fighter, who would now have to be replaced... which meant a turning at personal peril, here in Budapest. And he would have to do it himself. None of his lackeys were willing to do that part; they would take the risk of getting caught helping and losing face in the Coven, but wouldn't risk getting caught making newborn Vampires and facing execution for it. That risk was Claude's alone.

Now he'd have to comb the streets for another human to turn... and the one who died had been trained and had gained some experience, so he'd be starting at square one. Great.

He turned to Dashia - who he had decided was a VIP customer - and, still completely ignoring her hulking bodyguard, said, "I hope that pleased you more?"

[Jenny]

Dashia Markov



Dashia doubted that anyone could truly humble Claude. He seemed like the type of man who had a big ego and she knew plenty of men like that. She nodded her head when he said the city had its advantages and disadvantages.

I have found touring does wonders for the pocket book.

She had her fighters tour around the world. She attracted more customers and it also kept law enforcement from trying to shut her down. By the time some do gooders found out about her fights, they were long gone. She rarely had fights in Budapest because she had heard of the community who disliked people like her. She had the feeling Claude must be in good with his Coven's leader to risk what he was doing. The next match was more of her style. It was more violent, bloodier, and the loser died. From the reaction of the crowd, she could tell they had liked it too. She had a smile on her face and replied to Claude.

Yes it did and obviously the fans were pleased too. Do you have any Lycans fighting tonight?

Although Dashia felt that Lycans were just animals watching them fight was great fun. They were so violent and ruthless in the ring. If Claude had no Lycans in his organization she would recommend it to him. Egor didn't care if Claude was ignoring him because he wasn't there to make conversation. His job was to protect Dashia and that was all.

[Monkey Kitty]

Claude



"I don't work with animals," Claude said shortly, but without losing his smooth tone. "My customers come to see people fight."

The truth was less that Claude was above it - he actually found the idea intriguing - but he didn't have any source for Lycans. The Vampires, he had turned himself. The only place he knew of to find werewolves was that community nearby, and he didn't think they'd be open to making a sale to him.

"I take it you use Lycans in your own matches? Do the customers respond well? And where do you procure the beasts?"

Claude sounded more curious than he had intended to.

[Jenny]

Dashia Markov



Dashia thought Lycans were animals as well but she also knew they drew large crowds. So it was Claude's lost if he wasn't taking advantage of another way to draw more people and money. Obviously he wanted to stay small time. When Claude asked about her fights, she replied.

Sometimes. I have both Vampire and Lycan fighters. The customers enjoy the Lycans because they are just beasts and they fight that way. It's very gruesome to see how they kill. I attend a lot of human matches around the world and see which fighters I like. The ones I like, I then offer them a better deal. Egor turns them for me. It's much easier to control an animal when you create it. You should come see one of my fights and see the Lycans go at each other.

[Monkey Kitty]

Claude



Claude was obviously intrigued, especially at the description of the fights as 'gruesome.' That was exactly what his customers preferred, the gorier the better. If he could improve his crowds by adding beasts to his roster...

"You've piqued my interest," Claude said truthfully. "But around here, there's no way to acquire Lycans. The ones in the area are... inaccessible."

For now, the community was too secure to raid. The Coven was planning an attack, but Topaz intended to destroy all the werewolves, and Claude wasn't sure how to capture one secretly while surrounded by other Vampires he didn't want in on his 'game.'

"I don't suppose you'd be interested in selling one?" Claude suggested. "I assure you that I have the means to make it worth your while."

He hastily added, "Of course, I wouldn't dream of asking for one of your better fighters. All I need is a source of the virus, and I can make my own. Do you happen to have a spare Lycan who hasn't met your expectations, which you'd be willing to part with for a reasonable fee?"