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

Alex nodded, "Yeah, grab the duffel and let's go," Alex began moving with the Brujah towards the stairs and then the elevator.

She grabbed everything, grabbing Charlie's cellphone last thing and moved close behind Alex. She used the key card on the elevator and made sure to grab the doors for Alex on the way out of the building.

Not a word to the receptionist, not even a look.

She ran ahead to the truck, unlocking the doors and putting the bag in the back. She even started the truck up as Alex got Charlie out of that place.

He was gentle with the young Brujah. He knew he probably didn't have to be, but in those times where it mattered, even the slightest kindness made the difference. Alex helped Charlie get buckled in and then slid in next to... him? her? Christ that was a mess. Either way, he got into the truck, placing the brujah between himself and Cass. He closed the door.

"Alright, let's get the hell out of here."

Cass pulled out of the parking lot and just started driving.

"He can't stay at my place-- it's not any better there, Alex. Not with Markus in my head. Not with the ghosts. It might make him worse."

Alex shook his head, "I don't know that any place is safe from a fallen angel, Cass. If that's what this thing really was, then they had power over creation, over the universe really. I mean... angels... Really!?"

Charlie, Charlize (did it really matter in the end?) said nothing, allowing Alex to move him as he needed to. Still looking wrecked, although at the very least the bloody tears had been washed away as he stared distantly at nothing, seemingly lost to the world around him.

"So where do I take him?" Frustration was building, she nearly ran a stop sign before slamming on the brakes. "I don't know what to do. Angels or not, how long do you think it will be until we're all reduced to the same state as Charlie?"

"I don't know, Cass. For the first time, in a very long time, I don't have a plan... and that scares the hell out of me."

Cass drove in the city in silence for a while. Her head rested against her hand, her arm propped up on the window as she steered the car. She bit at her fingers, trying to think.

And then very suddenly, she turned back toward the direction of the beach, seemingly headed back to her apartment.

Charlie could kill her for it later.

"Cass, where are we going?"

"The options headed in this direction is the apartment from Hell or I keep driving until we're out of the city. You have a preference?"

She didn't sound angry at all-- simply those were the two options she had in her head at the time.

"Apartment from Hell. I can at least call in a favor to help you out with that. Won't do us any good tonight... but maybe for future reference. The other option is Boston for a few days, but that's iffy at best."

"Apartment it is then. No way we'll make it to Boston in this truck. Just to let Charlie get his faculties back. If he's better tomorrow night, he can choose what he wants to do. As for the apartment? I'm just not going to keep it. I can find something else."

She made a right hand turn, edging back into familiar neighborhoods.

Alex looked at Cass, "You know I own a learjet, right? And if you want, the tower has apartments."

Cass looked at Alex, shaking her head with a slight embarrassed smile. " I'm not thinking straight, I'm sorry. What do you think we should do?"

"Apartment. I want Charlie coherent if we go to Boston. It's not a Camarilla town... not in anything more than name, anyway..."

Still not a word from the youth.
Broken Brujah was... well.. broken.

"Sounds like a plan," she nodded and turned down her street. In minutes, she'd pull up to the door of her apartment and shut off the engine with a sigh.

She looked over at Charlie worriedly.

"I'll get the doors," she said softly, sliding out of the truck.

->continued