What the Hell is Going On? (Alex, Charlie) - The White Tower

Cass pulled up to the clock tower having sped as fast as she could. She parked and quickly got out of the car, readying the keycard. She gave Alex a look and then simply took off for the door.

Inside, Cass didn't give the male receptionist any greeting, she made a dash for the elevator, using the keycard to go up and making sure Alex was with her.

The apartment was softly lit, the timer perhaps having kicked in because it certainly didn't look like anyone had been there. Silent, open, welcoming as always, but without any apparent life.

(see description for more detail)

It was go time and Alex wasn't about to leave Cass alone. He was out of the car in an instant, moving with her the whole time. As he did, he noted the various potential security issues.

The place appeared to hold several apartments although the actual clock tower part of the building seemed at first glance only accessible by a private elevator and belonged to Charlie. The receptionist/securityguard main job was to document visitors and ensure no unwanted people were allowed into the building.

The private elevator that would bring them upstairs required a key card or code unless actuated from the penthouse or by the receptionist. Cassiel though had a key card and only got a nod from the receptionist, suggesting she was already on Charlie's list of approved visitors.

It wasn't a high security place, but the penthouse apartment appeared somewhat isolated from the rest of the building and as such had a fair bit of privacy.

Once in the elevator, Cass to the couple of minutes to check her phone to make sure she didn't miss a call from Charlie. But it was a quick check-- Charlie hadn't called, hadn't texted.

Of course, the elevator ride up (which was very short) seemed to take forever. She adjusted the bag on her shoulder and tapped her foot impatiently. Muttering to herself, "Please don't let there be a demon here, please," the whole time.

When the doors opened, Cass hesitated at first, standing on the elevator with her foot blocking the door.

She listened and looked at Alex with a shake of her head.

"I'll take upstairs," she repeated, unsure of what else to say, probably out of anxiety. Cass headed toward the stairs.

Alex gave a quick nod. And then, away from the prying eyes of mortals, his eyes began to gleam crimson as wicked black talons slid from his fingertips. Anything that was there and not supposed to be was getting gutted, no questions asked.

And then he began to move through the apartment.

Cass burned a blood point in her system and as slight Celerity speeds, ascended the stairs.

"Charlie?!" She called out to him, but not a yell. Just enough to be heard.

There appeared to be nothing out of the ordinary in the apartment. It was quiet, clean, nothing out of place, nothing suggesting a brawl or a struggle or intruders. At least not until Cassiel reached the hallway on the second floor where a scattered blood trail, just a few drops, could be seen from the door of the guest room where she'd stayed to Charlie's bedroom just down the hallway.
There was no answer to her calls though. Still not a sound from, well, anywhere.

Cass' eyes went to the blood and she flicked on the light in the hallway before she eased toward Charlie's door and inside.

"Alex!" She called down to the Gangrel. "There's blood up here!"

She began a hurried search of Charlie's room.

The Rose didn't really need to do much of a search, the moment she opened the door she'd find Charlie. The youth's slender form slumped over by the bed, resting one arm and her head on the sheets while sitting on the floor with a sleek blade in an open hand, her back towards the door, her face hidden from view by locks of dark hazel coloured hair. Because it was most definitively she, not he this time.

She was wearing the black short satin robe Cass had bought her, panties and otherwise nothing. The robe had slid off one shoulder and hadn't been tied so there wasn't much to hide her skinny form from view. The faint blood trail continued towards the bed where the sheets had soaked up a bit of colour from the looks of it, though at first glance Charlize appeared unharmed.

On the floor next to her laid the cellphone, the small light continously blinking suggesting she'd been texted or called without picking it up. Most likely, they'd all be Cass' calls.

Cass didn't immediately say anything. Instead, she grabbed clothes and a set of bandages-- baggy clothes that she knew Charlie liked to work out in. She moved quickly to him and the first thing she did was to attempt to pull a large shirt over her head.

The bandages got tossed into Cass' bag.

"Charlie? Come on, let's get some clothes on you, quickly now..." Cass, having spent most of the night in a panic, suddenly had focus and seemed to be calm. Get Charlie dressed and try to get him out of here-- that was the goal.

Alex took the stairs two and three at a time as he ran to join Cass, "Charlie!? Cass!?" He came to a stop at the doorway with Cass and then suddenly... "Charlie? He's a ... she?"

Cass looked over her shoulder at Alex and gave a simple nod. She couldn't hide it from him, as much as Charlie probably would have wanted her to.

"Help me get Charlie to her feet? I can't lift her," she asked as she tried to wipe away some of the blood from her face.

Touched? Something... touched.. her..

The youth's gaze snapped to fixate on the Rose the moment her hands touched her, her fingers locking around the blade and bringing it to her throat but stopping just as it ought to have cut into her skin as the Brujah's blood tinged eyes widened at the realization of who it was.

"Cass..." her name passed the youth's lips in a confused whisper before steel blue eyes turned to the sound of a man's voice as quickly as the blade as pointed in the same direction. Without that really making much of a difference though, he was too far away for her to reach and she was too out of it to actually be of any use.
The smeared blood across her alabaster skin suggesting she'd been crying.

"I..."

Tired... she was so damn tired...

Her hand trembled even as she made no attempt to move or cover herself up, simply letting her hand fall to the ground without letting go of the blade.
"Monster got in my head..." Charlize muttered under her breath to Cass.

And in that instant, blood fueled his muscles as he moved faster than humanly possibly as a clawed hand wrapped around Charlie's wrist, threatening to stab her. Claws vs the knife, Alex bet his were worse.

"Are we cool, Charlie? Or are you gonna flip out?"

Cass stepped back-- claws and knives? Oh hell no, she wasn't getting in the middle of that. Shredded Toreador was not the breakfast of champions. When Charlie let go of the blade, she shook her head, waiting for Charlie to answer Alex as she began gathering the Brujah's weapons harnesses and array of blades.

There was no strength there, which, considering her looks wasn't such a surprise but which considering her Clan spoke of just how exhausted she had to be. She gave no answer though, seemingly having trouble just sitting up judging fromt he way she swayed.
Half closed eyes moved to Cassiel before drifting back to Alex with the look of someone who really had no more to give.

There was no danger of her stabbing anyone. Because at the moment, she might as well have been what she looked like: a beaten little teen.

The knife hit the ground and Alex eased his grip. He bent low and scooped Charlie up into his arms, wrapping the robe around her in an attempt to protect her modesty. Even as he did this, his claws and eyes returned to that of a human. Now he was just the charming corporate magnate.

"It's gonna be ok, Charlie. Cass and I aren't gonna let anything happen to you."

The last thing Cass packed up in her bag was Charlie's pistols. At least, if Charlie came out of her stupor, she wouldn't feel naked. She pulled a few items of clothes from the youth's closet as well.

"I shouldn't have left her alone," Cass whispered, mostly to herself. The statement was full of guilt.

She was afraid to ask what monster had gotten into Charlie's head, afraid it would torment her more.

"Alex...?" Cass had the look of someone unsure of what to do.

Normally, she would've protested. Normally, she would've given that bet of his a go and shown him what her knives could do.
But right there and then? Hell, the world could probably have collapsed around her and it would've still barely registered with her.

Mind raped by a Fallen? It did things to people.

The youth's body barely weighed much, her slender form frail and weak when lifted up. She didn't curl up or lean into him though, that would've required strength and energy she didn't have. Really, she was little more than a rag doll at this stage.
"I'm sorry..." Charlize whispered.

Alex first looked to Cass, "We take her with us,"

Then he addressed them both, "This was neither of your fault. Cass, if you'd stayed here you'd be in the same condition as Charlie and then, where would either of you be? And Charlie, there's nothing to apologize for. You're with the good guys now, and I'm going to do everything I can to keep both of you safe."

Again, had she been feeling better there would've been protests. For the time being though, the youth was simply silent.

"We'll have to get her dressed the right way to get her out of here. No sense making the other mortals in the building look..."

Cass moved into an adjoining room and soon water could be heard running. A few moments later, she emerged with a wet washcloth, using it to clean Charlie's face of all traces of blood.

"Charlie, we have to get you dressed, alright?" She was cautious to tell Charlie exactly what she was doing as she started to dress her in something simple. No Brujah lashing out, please.

Thankfully, the process wouldn't take long-- and with Charlie not protesting? The better.

No protests. Really. Then again she could barely muster the strength to actually help either. Though for the time being some baggy clothes would be enough to hide her true nature. At least at first glance.

The most she managed was a light trembling touch of her fingers to Cassiel's cheek, mouthing the words "I'm sorry..." without actually having the voice to say them out loud.

Cass shook her head to Charlie and then took her hand, squeezing it. "Stop it. You did nothing wrong. Listen to Alex, it's not your fault."

She offered a kind smile that tugged just at one corner of her mouth. "And you can be angry with me later. Rest now."

She pulled her hand away and looked at Alex softly.

"Better get Charlie out of here before he catches a second wind..."