038. Vampire: The Eternal Struggle

Patches and Kyoko hunt for Duke Granville.

***"I'm not on the frontline, I'm not the defense; I'm the goaltender."***

Patches and Kyoko travel north out of Montreal towards the last-known location of Duke Granville and Jonas. They try to figure out how the authorities were able to find Jonas' body so quickly, and hypothesize about what may have happened. Were they led into a trap, or was this simply an unfortunate occurrence? Kyoko also expresses her concern for Braum's safety, although she admits that when the two of them are on a mission, she "doesn't think of him that way". Patches shrugs it off: it's probably safer to separate one's intimate feelings from the chain of command.

They arrive at the scene of the accident, where Jonas' car has crashed into a ditch, although not with enough force to have necessarily been fatal. The driver side door, by contrast, seems to have been ripped off and flung onto the highway by an incredible force. As Patches tries to spy on the situation, Kyoko creates a feeling of anxiety in the area which drives the mortal police officers away from the scene. The two step off into the dark woods, and find footprints leading off further into the forest… and the Duke's silver broach. Hurrying forward, they come across a cottage in the woods with a Mercedes parked out front. Patches attempts to sneak around the back, spying an unconscious Duke on a bed inside before the curtains are roughly pulled across the window.

The nocker opts for the "direct approach", asking the occupants for help with her "broken-down car". The middle-aged man who answers the door is incredibly muscular and dressed in a well-fitted suit, but curtly tells her leave before slamming the door in her face. Still trying to peer into the cottage to ascertain the Duke's state, the man leaves the house and engages Patches. Leaping out of range of the enforcer, she pulls out her chimerical lightning gun and, avoiding his attempts to disarm her, fires a lightning slug into his chest. He shrugs off the damage and rips the gun from Patches' hands. Patches transforms the window pane into sugar glass as she smashes through it, finally managing to find an angle on this giant, shooting into his jaw, and again into his skull. As he drops, Patches yells to the room: "Self defense! He came after me first!"

It is only at this moment that Patches and Kyoko realize that the house is quiet… too quiet. The Duke has been moved from the bed, and there is only the sound of a low hum coming from deeper inside the house. Lighting a cigarette, Patches moves forward and downstairs into the basement, rifle in hand. Three immaculately dressed and very pale people stand around Duke Granville, surprised to see Patches there instead of Sophia. They are furious with her for having killed their "associate" Jacques, the vampire living beneath the Chateau Frontenac. The leader, Chantale, asks Patches to bring them Sophia as a trade for Jacques' life, to which Patches draws her gun and fires on one of the thralls. The lightning courses through the man so quickly and unexpectedly that he ignites into flame; he dies instantly.

Patches and Kyoko trade fire with the remaining thrall and vampire, eventually leading them outside. Patches takes a bullet directly to the sternum, shattering it and critically injuring her. Hopscotching up into the trees, she is able to rain fire down onto the two enemies. Kyoko steps out with Duke Granville, collapsing onto the grass as Chantale the vampire follows them out. She begins to feed on the Duke as a horrified Patches watches from the trees. As the vampire starts to move away, Patches is able to fire one last round at her back, and the lightning gun shoots out a jet of flame. The vampire screams as she runs away through the trees… and directly into the sunlight.

Patches and Kyoko drag the Duke back towards their car, and discover Chantale's phone, with a message sent to Jonas' number with an exit off the highway specified. Either Jonas was in league with the vampire, or he was somehow coerced into leading the Duke into the trap…. But they don't have time to think too much about it as they try to get Duke Granville back to the Spark, hoping he'll still be alive when they get there….