IC Time: Evening of May 9, 2007
Location: Volterra - Castle: Dungeons
Synopsis: Abbey is questioned by Aro and Caius. They come away with a wealth of knowledge and new motivations… Abbey goes away with broken bones.
Submitted by: Aro
The otherwise dank, dark, and dripping dungeons are suddenly and without warning flooded with fluorescent light as long rows of bulbs flicker on. It's a bit of a surprise even to the current guards on duty: who knew such a dreadful place even had lights besides the torches lit nearby? There's several clangs followed by footsteps. If one was vigilant, they'd detect the scent of at least five vampires making their way down into the dungeons: Aro and Caius flanked by three guards, with the additional guards on dungeon-duty joining the gang.
"It's been so long since we had prisoners! It's rather exciting," Aro expresses with a signature, giddy smile, finishing his way down the stairs and gazing into the hallway. "Now, the female! I'd like to speak to that one, if she's detained well enough."
A guard nods. "We have them on the highest security and, of course, drugged when needed. She's right down here, masters…" And a guard leads the way to the cell Abbey's being kept in.
Caius follows a step or two behind Aro, his chalky features impassive. He isn't quite as enamored of the idea as Aro, after all, he is well aware of the damage these creatures can cause, be they shifter or traditional werewolf. "We took her first," He comments to his brother. "Then the other arrived, by great fortune, and fell into our hands as well." The tone is silky and full of menace. Yes, Cauis and Aset will be spending some 'quality time' together over the next few… centuries.
Took nothing.. While Abbey may have fallen she took many of the vampires down with her in the process. The wolf slowly moves in her spot, the sound of chains clank and rattle at the movement. The light hurts her eyes for a good few moments until she gets use to it, the scent of other females fills her head which causes a tired growl to escape her. The wolves pale blue eyes open to stare at the front of the cell, watching and waiting for the ones to move closer so she can see who all is here now to visit her.
Aro smiles lightly at Caius. "Really?" A chuckle escapes his pale lips. "It's got to be that pack mentality. If one's in trouble, the other comes running… Silly shifters. Blind loyalty has its costs, but in our case, it has brought us fortune. Now, let's see her!" The group arrives in front of Abbey's cell and Aro narrows his eyes with slight surprise. "Well, talking won't get us very far in /this/ situation," he scoffs. "We need to force it to shift. I don't suppose we have a drug for that… but perhaps an incentive would work?" He stares down the wolf. "Shift into a human form for us, if you please. Otherwise we'll be forced to do something awful to the male."
"I have a few ideas," Caius murmurs, a threat heavy in his tone. "The ability to regenerate offers a great many possibilities. But I've had a long time to perfect the talent of inflicting pain."
Abbey’s maw twitches as her pale gaze settles upon the group before her cage, her lips pull back slightly to bare her fangs at one vampire and then another. Her hackles rise slightly before her ears lower as she hears them. A faint snort escapes her knowing that they will do whatever they want no matter what she does. Soon though the wolf shifts, chains dragging as she pushes herself up to her haunches, head lowered by the way of the weight from the chain there before she shifts back into her human form. The change causes the chains to loosen enough that some slide free when she moves to sit with her back against the wall and arms settled upon her knees. A hand slowly rubbing against her sore neck as she sits there rather nude before the all mighty powerful vampire. Still she says nothing.
The Volturi guard tense as the wolf shifts into her human form, become more predator-like in an instance — their arms drop and their backs slouch, eyes narrowing. They don't make a move, but the loose chains seem to have posed a sort of tacit threat.
"Why, hello." Aro smiles widely, looking rather predatory himself. "I am Aro and this is my dear brother, Caius. This can be as painful as you wish it to be; but if you cooperate, we might even be able to provide you with some clothes." He takes his eyes off Abbey and looks to Caius, "Brother, since you made it possible for us all to meet, perhaps you'd like to have the honors of questioning our new friend first?"
Caius's teeth peel back from his lips and he goes still, watching Abbey shift. "Snarl all you want, she-wolf, but your mate brought this down upon you. Had you not threatened us with exposure, we may have allowed you to continue existing in that little forest village. But you chose unwisely and these are the consequences. I want the threat ended. I want all of the video evidence, the contacts used to distribute it and to make it credible. I do not believe your mate simply intended to post on the internet."
"I'd rather stay nude." Abbey says with a simple tone, faint Irish accent picked up as she speaks. Her gaze lifts and she lets her gaze drifts towards the guards, smirking faintly as she watches them before she shakes her head slightly before her gaze drifts back towards Aro and Caius. "Friend?.. I'd hate to see how you treat someone you hate then." Her gaze turns to Caius and she smirks while she watches him before shaking her head. "I destroyed them all. After that first vampire came to my home from your little group." She may love Aset but she didn't agree with the videos at all. "There were no contacts as far as I know."
Aro listens patiently to Caius's words, nodding seriously towards the end. "Well put." He paces slightly, from one guard's back to the next, staying within the range of the front of the cell. "You expect us to believe you? Such an easy lie, I would think. How can we be certain you're telling the truth?" Aro queries. His gaze flicks back over the wolf, "Suit yourself. I merely thought you'd like a little dignity; clearly I forgot how very… uncivilized your kind can be. Troubling."
Caius sneers at the explanation. He doesn't seem to notice the woman's nudity at all. He may as well be looking at an illustration in a Grey's Anatomy book. "You expect us to believe it? When your mate hears you screaming, do you think he will make the same answer?"
Abbey smirks at Aro while her pale gaze turns to him before her eyes just close and she presses her cheek to her arm. "Nothing I could say would change you mind, anything I say you won't believe so what's the point?" A faint chuckle escapes her as she hears Aro's uncivilized comment and she smirks faintly while she watches him before letting her "He'll say the same because he destroyed the ones he had as well." Threatening her with pain isn't a good threat.
Aro shoots Caius an approving glance. In this case, pain is very much the answer, and he does appreciate the company of his talented brother. Her response, however, isn't promising. "Is that really what you think? If that was the case, why didn't we just kill you and the male? Surely we kept you alive for some reason, so if I were you, my dear speciman, I'd be trying to tell all of the truths I could to save my life." He smiles lightly. "But that's just me." Aro walks to the left a bit. "So tell me. What is your name? I do detect a bit of an… is that an Irish lilt to your tone? Interesting for a Quileute."
"You must think us fools, to blindly swallow whatever tale you weave. There are backups, I am sure. Contingency plans. We will discover them all, one way or another." Caius bares his teeth, a hiss escaping.
Abbey lets her gaze turn back to Aro and she takes in a faint breath. "What makes you think I am lying then?" She questions with a shake of her head. "You will discover nothing.. Because there is nothing left." This said with a faint tone. Her name, well its nothing close to be Quileute that's for sure. "My name is Abbey Wallace."
Aro considers the argument and then turns to Caius, talking as if Abbey wasn't there. "There is an easier way to find out." It's unspoken that it's a risk he's willing to take, get close enough to the wolf while she's conscious. He makes no move yet, as if wanting to first consider Caius's opinion on getting closer to the female.
Caius eyes the wolf, considering. "There is…" Caius himself doesn't want to get any closer to the wolf, unless he's doing something rather nasty. "Drugging her first might be preferable. Or simply have them hold her down." A half-dozen vampires should be able to manage that.
Abbey gaze drifts from Aro to Caius and then back to Aro once more, she takes in a breath and smirks faintly before she shakes her head while she looks off slightly. There is no telling what she might do if any of them did get close to her. Even in her human form she will fight most likely.
Aro frowns. "I do wonder if the drugging would have any effect on the mind though… let's get close and see what happens." As in, the guard should get close. He motions with his hand, and so four of them approach Abbey quickly and try to hold her down, leaning their weight on her body and presses her against the wall. Aro watches and speaks to Caius. "Curious about the accent, don't you think?"
"Indeed. We'd thought the condition of these shifters was an inherited trait. The indigenous ancestry must be far removed, in this one. I am surprised the trait was not bred out, in the meantime." Caius watches, impassively, while the other vampires move in.
Abbey gaze turns to the vampire, eyeing them as they move in closer, a faint growl escapes her. She swings out a hand towards one while struggling to pull away from another while the other two are able to push her back aaginst the wall and work on holding her down. She could shift back into her wolf form which would make it even harder for them to hold her down. Hearing Aro talk about her accent is what spurrs her into shifting. Even with the four vampires struggling to hold her down she tries to shift back into her wolf form in the process.
The shifting catches the guard well, off-guard and they step away with a questioning glance toward Aro and Caius. "We can still hold it, but…?" Felix asks.
Aro waves a hand dismissively. "Clearly, she doesn't wish to cooperate. I see we'll be doing this the hard way." Lips pressed down and eyes narrowed, he shakes his head before turning to Caius. "What do you think, Caius? She's not cooperating and it would seem to me, she's hiding something…"
Caius snarls, "Keep the maw closed and secure it. Dislocate the hips and break the lower back." He instructs Felix and the other exceptionally strong bruisers. "Then read her quickly, before she heals."
The large wolf slowly shifts up onto her paws at the four vampires back away. A thick snarl offered towards one along with the snapping over her jaws while she moves away. Her, hide something? Never.. With most of the chains off, Abbey is able to move around easier, so catching her a second time by brute force is not going to be easy. Her ears flick back as she hears Caius and she snarls ou towards Felix and the others.
Aro raises a brow. He's never tried to read an animal. "It should be… enlightening." He waits with crosses arms, watching his guard expectantly.
Felix nods. "Understood." The others begin to circle the wolf. It's a rather small cell, so they easily spread out and try to narrow in on the now loose wolf, apparently unafraid of the snapping jaws, though Corin does hesitate for a moment. Felix leaps first, grabbing for Abbey's legs, while a burly male guard grabs for Abbey's neck.
Caius moves a little closer, watching with filmy, crimson eyes. "Get the chains back on her. Tighter this time."
Abbey takes in a slight breath, is that fear? Perhaps, but she wouldn't admit to it. Her gaze turns from one wolf then to another before one leaps at her, with a growl she snaps out at Felix while she tryes to move forward only to get caught by another vampire in the process. Her neck is grabbed and then her legs, still she struggles and bucks clawing at the ground to try and get free while her jaws snap out towards hands and arms going for whatever she can get if she sees it.
The guard, though they do indeed secure the wolf, don't escape without scratches (or more) from the feisty alpha. Felix, larger but marginally slower than the others, gets nipped in the arm, and his flesh actually does tear, causing him to rage more than stop and whine. As a result, he tries to carry out Caius's orders: break the hips and dislocate. In the meantime, the others scramble for the chains.
Aro watches as well. "Combat training is ever so important! Never know when it could come in handy."
Caius scowls at Corin's hesitance. "There's no fire here. She cannot kill you! Break her!" He nods to Aro, as an afterthought. "Useful, indeed."
A sharp crying yelp echos across the dungons as one hip is dislocated and then another leg broken. The pain seems to spur Abbey onwards, making her move about and struggles more. Her jaws snap out towards Felix once more, trying to grab hold of his arm in the process.
"Secure the jaw!" Felix grunts at Corin, who doesn't really immediately do it. Hence, Felix's shirt is ripped as he leans away from the jaws, but he endures, putting more pressure on the broken bones to try and immobilize the wolf with pain.
Aro sees a spot to step in and uses all of his speed to come into the cell after it is opened electronically by a guard nearby. When he finds the appropriate moment, the aged vampire moves in carefully away from Abbey's teeth to try and press a hand on one of the broken legs, attempting to read her thoughts and discover if she is lying about the tapes. If time should permit, he also tries to pull any thoughts about the last full moon…
"Snap it, then!" Caius isn't at all happy with the inefficient way that his minions are securing the wolf. He moves a little closer as well, as if to protect Aro, should the wolf free herself.
Another yelp escapes the wolf as more pressure it put onto her leg. Abbey pulls her head back each time, staying just out of the grasp of her maw it seems. Another hand is felt upon her and she wings out, jaws going for Aro now. The touch shows that the tapes and other information she had that Aset gave her she did destroy. As to anything about the last full moon he only gets images of wolves hunting in the forest of Forks. If her jaws are grabbed now there is always the chance of a longer reading perhaps.
The minions are picking up on Caius's anger, and Corin shapes up and grabs Abbey's jaws with a crushing fist, enduring any spare teeth that manage to sink into the flesh of his hand. He grabs them before they can get over toward Aro, thankfully for Corin and Aro both.
Aro frowns. First, the thoughts are… different. In the wolf form the first things he gets are instinctual before they are coherent. "She speaks the truth about destroying the tapes. She destroyed the ones /she/ was given. We must seek the other wolf, though." Aro decided to risk standing a bit longer, intrigued by the images of hunting. The new moon! Yes, he thinks perhaps he might be able to pick up some assurance then, if he can manage to hang on long enough.
Caius decides to take matters into his own hands, somewhat literally. As if demonstrating to the younger vampires exactly -how- to secure a wolf, Caius descends upon Abbey in a blur. While keeping his body behind her head, the ancient grasps around the snapping maw with both hands. He pulls the mandible down and sharply to the left… with an audible >crack<, the lower jaw dislocates and the small bones in the joint break. That weapon disabled, he uses the discarded chains to wrap around the jaw and secure it closed. Keeping pressure on the back of her head, to force the head down, he glares at the younger vampires.
Abbey scrambles and struggles against the ones that hold her, more so when the first grabs and crunches her maw closed. The sound of bone breaking is heard, some blood drips from the sides of her maw as her own teeth are pushes into her maw from the force of the grip. Her gaze narrows, the look in them wild and feral, rather animal like. Ears lower back against her skull, the movement from Caius isn't caught until he is upon her and a cry of pain escapes her once her jaws are truly broken. Her eyes close once the chains wrap around her maw and she doesn't fight the hold against her head as it just drops to the ground. Other then the few cries of pain that escape her she's rather quiet now, as if not in pain at all after what has happened. She'll be feeling it later for sure. As Aro keeps his hold on her he can see that she runs with a pack of wolves during the moon, but every night she and the others have to change forms it seems during the full moon.
Corin, Felix, and the others seem to understand there /will/ be harsh words spoken to them later on, and possibly punishment. Felix, in particular, seems embarrassed that Caius had to help and adverts his gaze.
Aro, meanwhile, keeps a close read until he feels he has gotten a good enough collection of thoughts to come to a conjecture: "She is not from the La Push pack. The moon seems to possibly effect tranformation." His eyes try to meet his brother's as he steps cleanly away from the injured wolf's body and moves for the cell's door. "You understand these implications, of course?"
Once Aro is out of the cell door, Caius releases the wolf and moves out with him. Still, that took every ounce of willpower he had to not simply wrench the lupine's head from its shoulders and mount it on his wall. "Yes." He growls, teeth bared. He says nothing more, fixing his gaze instead upon Felix and the others. Fighting the wolf stirred some base emotions. Actually hearing that his ancient enemies are alive, well and reproducing brings them back in such a flood that it's almost incomprehensible to the ancient. Those emotions need an outlet and fortunately, one has been provided for him. Yes, there will be harsh words and punishment to follow. Privately, Caius revels in this. He has not felt so -alive- in centuries.
Abbey doesn't bother trying to struggle and move around anymore, she's battered and broken and is starting to feel the pain coursing through her form. She hears the two talk, her heart aches as she knows they have figured out just what they are. Her eyes slowly open and she lets her gaze rest on Aro and Caius while they talk.
Corin ventures to speak. "Master, I heard she was feisty, so you know, since I haven't had much experience with wolves, I didn't react as I should have. I am sorry." The guard follows Aro and Caius out.
Aro acts as if he didn't hear Corin, lost in deep thoughts, his lips downturned slightly. "It disappoints me so that we did not perform as well as we thought. Still, though, there might be use yet. Something we didn't try last time." He decides not to elaborate, knowing Caius wouldn't be much of a fan of his suggestion to 'train' the wolves.
Caius's hand flicks out, in a blurringly fast motion, and strikes Corin. Though the ancient appears frail, clearly he is not. The imprudent vampire is flung across the corridor to smash into the opposing brick wall. Caius didn't look at Corin, even as he struck, but keeps his eyes focused on the exit as he departs the dungeons.
