The feeding had gone well.  Setsuna's abilities had well augmented his own, and they had succeeded in a simple grab-and-gulp of one of the kine, and gotten back to Salon intact.  He licked his lips quietly, reflecting on the sight of her drinking at the same moment as him, just inches apart.  He wondered how her screams sounded, how long her supernatural strength could hold out against him.
Overall, a good evening so far.
Glancing around Salon, he couldn't spot Xavier anywhere – they had come to an agreement to exchange skills at the end of the last meeting of Salon, and he was nowhere to be found.  He flicked open his phone, a mercifully simple device, and called for Setsuna.
“...yes?”
“Setsuna, this is Gabriel.  I'm looking for Xavier, have you seen him?”
“Don't worry about it.  He'll be at the Colonial Park Mall, where I need you to be for a job.”
“Got it.”  He clicked the phone closed and slid it into his pocket, standing and making his way outside, sliding into his car and heading for the mall.  He'd been there once or twice before and pulled a cute little thing out of whatever that store that sold all the black clothes was and had a wonderful evening with her.  Well, wonderful for him, anyway.
He pulled in fifteen minutes later, stepping out and glancing around.  After a moment, he spotted Xavier and walked over to him.
“Where's Setsuna?”  Xavier looked a bit rattled, but just shrugged.  “Oh God...”  A quick glance at the door and, of all people, the Pack of Cards were coming in.  The Malkavians.  The fucking Malks were running this too.  Fuck.
“Let's go, we'll find her inside.”  He said simply and made his way inside, Xavier following.  Inside it seemed simple enough, throngs of the kine swarming in and out of stores like a human liquid.  He always hated places like these, so much life, yet so little really going on.  Moving through the throng, he found the box where Setsuna had said the drop would be.  “Cupid, huh.”  He said as he opened the box and looked inside – the package was still there, they'd beaten the people who were there to-
The thought was cut off in Gabriel's mind as something hit him on the back of the head, sending him to the floor.  He glanced up and saw a  big guy in a large coat looking in, and then reaching into the box.  Gabriel growled in the back of his throat and swept his foot out as he stood, sweeping the man's feet from under him and sending him falling to the ground.
“Fuckin' kine.”  He muttered, knowing no Cainnite would have gone down so easily.  Then again, he did, but he didn't reflect on that.  Standing, he grabbed the man by the coat and shoved him against the wall, a little smirk forming.
“He's got a gun!”  He called, and the mall burst into panic.  He spotted Xavier running past him out of the corner of his eye, but ignored it as he turned, hearing the click of two guns.  Two more people in the coats and hats were standing across the hall from him.
“Let him g-” They didn't even finish the threat, as, in an act that left Gabriel just stunned at the serendipity of it, a rather smelly woman ran past them – and knocked the gun out of one of their hands, sending it spinning across the floor towards him.  Gabriel's attacker attempted to reach it, but Gabriel was able to sweep it out of the way, grabbing the man by the face.  “Burn.”  He growled out, the man suddenly screaming as the power of Valeren sent ripping pains through his body.
He'd never tried it before, seeing as he didn't have the power of Presence, which would have let it be much easier.  But he was ferocious, and could be intimidating when he wanted to be, so he looked to the others, and in his lowest voice, spoke two words.
“Get out.”
The two attackers stared at him for a moment, then dropped their guns and turned tail out of the mall.  He stood and, with the power of Valeren still coursing through his attacker, knocked him out cold and carried him out.  Stepping into his car, he pulled out... a certain destination in mind.
He pulled out of the still being constructed Giant off of Linglestown road a bit later, hands washed clean of the man's blood that he had once again used to paint up the symbols and words of the Camarilla, this time adding a flourish with the words “Crimson Mesa” in addition to what he had written.  The Camarilla would have fun cleaning that up, with more such things going to come, people would surely begin asking.
When he returned to Salon, to his annoyance, the others hadn't gotten back yet.  He flicked open his phone once more, dialing for Xavier.  Wyrd answered.
“Yes?”
“What the fuck are you doing with Xavier's phone?  And where the fuck are you?”
“We captured John Bo, and he's taking us to meet Thomas.”
If it was possible for a Cainnite to pale beyond what they usually were, Gabriel surely would have.  His grip tightened on the phone.
“What did you just say?  You're going to meet who?”
“Thomas, like I said.”
“Give the phone to John Bo.”
“Look, Gabriel-”
“Give the fucking phone to John Bo!”  There was the sound of rustling, and an unfamiliar voice picked up the phone.
“Hello?”
“This is John Bo, yes?”
“Yes, that's right.”
“Balaam mentioned you.”  The tone in the other's, presumably John Bo's, voice changed considerably.  Instead of being somewhat calm, it became a cold serious.
“My name is Gabriel.  I want to meet with Thomas.”
“You're going to kill him.”
“Maybe.”
“You're working with Balaam, of course you're going to kill him!”
“Look, John Bo.  I'm working with Balaam, yes, but I do want to speak with Thomas myself.  So much has been said about him, I'm curious.  And I think you'll find in time that I'm not the sort of man who kills without reason.”  A bold-faced lie.  But then again, John Bo didn't know him.
“You promise?”
“You have my word, John Bo.”  There were a few moments of silence.
“One moment.”  There were a few more moments that passed before his voice came on the phone again.
“I've arranged a meeting.  The Wildwood campus of Harrisburg Area Community College.  Ten minutes.”
“I'll be there.  And John Bo, thank you.”  He clicked his phone closed with a little smile.  He'd get to meet and speak with Thomas, the man who Balaam and Jonas were so bent on killing.  He had arranged for a neutral meeting to simply talk and discuss, and it would be a great chance to get into the mind of the man who was supposed to kill.
Of course, Gabriel didn't give a rat's ass about any of that, and dialed for Jonas.
“Jah?”
“Jonas, it's Gabriel.  How are you, my friend?”
“I am doing... well, thank you.  What can I do for you, Gabriel?”
“I've arranged a meeting with Thomas.  HACC campus, ten minutes.”  There was a pause in which, even over the phone, Jonas's excitement was almost palpable.
“Gabriel, this is, this is fantastic!  I will contact our friends at the temple.  If you need help, just call Mr. Green and things will be taken care of.  Gabriel, this is a great night for us.  Praise to the dark father.”
“All praise to Caine.”  He hung up and smirked, stepping into his car and driving.
The rain had been starting for a while earlier, and had been slowed, but still enough was coming down to create a certain abience of their meeting.  Always one to appreciate theatrics, Gabriel was a bit glad for the mood.  He stepped out of his car and looked down the path, seeing a man in a white suit standing alone in the center of the field.  Gabriel began to walk towards him, hands in his pockets, swords and gun worn plainly on the outside of his clothes.
“Thomas, I presume.”  The man turned to him.
“You must be Gabriel.”
“That's right.”  He could tell Thomas didn't trust him, but it felt like he wanted to.  That he hoped he could.
“I finally get to meet the man behind the legend.  I've heard so much about you, Thomas.”
“And I you, Gabriel.  You're working with Balaam.”
“So I am.”
“Do you know what that thing is?  He's a demon!”  He yelled, seeming infuriated at the idea of Balaam's very existence, let alone that someone should work with him.  Gabriel just shrugged.
“Whatever he is, he gave me a great gift, in the memories of my sire, and hers before her.”
“Those memories are false, Gabriel, and lies!  Do not believe a word of what he says to you!”  As they spoke, Gabriel slid his phone out of his pocket, clicking the fast button to dial to Mr. Green, ready to call at a single press.
“Tell me, Thomas, how did you come by your abilities.  How did you take something inherently dark and corrupt, and make it into something light and pure.”
“I was taught by a woman named Lunatari Wells.  She showed me how I could take what had been forced upon me, and make it into something worthwhile.  She showed me how I could become free of that bastard Jonas, who stole my life from me.”
“Stole it from you?”
“Yes.  I never wanted this, I was forced into it, had my very live taken from me from the moment I was born by that bastard!  This existence is a curse, Gabriel, you cannot deny this.  Is your life any better for what we've become?”
“Myself, Thomas?  I consider it somewhat of a blessing.  It has opened my eyes to ways of existence I had never before even considered!”
“You're a fool, Gabriel, this life is a curse, we all must be destroyed!”  Gabriel pressed the button.  Immediately, Thomas frowned.  “I thought we were here to talk, Gabriel.”
“Yeah.  You did.”  He lifted his hand and put the phone to his ear.  “Now, Green.”  Behind him, came a rush of darkness that had even taken Gabriel a bit by surprise.  A crowd of punks, goths, and ravers appeared, all people that he had seen at Balaam's church.  As this happened, he just dropped the phone and pulled the gun from his holster, pointing it at Thomas and firing.  Thomas managed to avoid the blow, clicking his tongue disappointed.
“You didn't think I came alone, did you Gabriel?”  Just as the sea of darkness had appeared behind him, a sea of white appeared behind Thomas, a group of people in white suits and clothes appearing.  However, instead of waiting for a command, five of them immediately opened fire on Gabriel.  He dodged the worst one, a  buckshot shotgun, but took four more bullets right in the chest, falling down and gasping.  He flooded his body with as much blood as he could spare, bringing him back to where he needed to be.
“God damn you, Thomas.”  He stood, readying the gun again.  As he did, though, another voice entered the foray.
“Thomas.  It is time for this farce to end.”  The thick German accent of Jonas cut through the attack, Thomas's full attention now returning to his one-time sire.
“Jonas.  It's time for this to end, you're right.  It is time for you to die.”
Without warning, without even knowing what was about to happen, a bright sphere of daylight surrounded Thomas.  Gabriel had to shield his eyes so that they could adjust, but he found himself slightly in awe of the ability, a perversion of what he assumed was the Shroud of Night.  The others stumbled back, and a few ran, but both Thomas and Jonas were still standing.  He pulled off another shot at Thomas, this one connecting across his shoulder.  He seemed unfazed.
Jonas lifted his hand at Thomas, and within that circle of light, a brutal storm began to spin, actual pieces of floating debris even cutting across Thomas's face.  Gabriel shot again, this one glancing off a rogue piece of wood in front of him.
“Y-You're an infernalist!”  Thomas shouted, looking at Jonas.  Jonas just smirked.
“You have no idea what I am, Thomas.”  He said, before the storm intensified.  Gabriel took another shot at Thomas, this one cutting him across the chest, though his clothes and body were soon being torn and beaten by the flying debris.  “This is going to end, Thomas, and tonight!”
Gabriel popped another shot, nailing Thomas in the leg, yet he kept standing in the middle of the storm, as if transfixed.  Suddenly, Gabriel spotted motion out of the corner of his eye.  Wyrd, the Cards, and John Bo were all there.  And John Bo was running right for the maelstrom that surrounded Thomas.  He passed through it, body practically torn to shreds, and tackled Jonas to the ground, breaking whatever discipline he was using to create the storm.  Thomas's body fell to the ground, beaten and broken.
One of the ones behind him stood and picked him up, moving to take him on his bike.  Gabriel popped a shot at the man, who simply stood as it crumbled against his chest and fell to the ground.  He tried to shoot the tire off the bike, but missed, and before he could reload, Thomas and his savior had vanished out of range.
“God damn it.”  Gabriel stumbled, the lack of blood in his system suddenly acutely aware to him.  Jonas had recovered at some point, and walked over to help him up, turning to the two groups.  “Look!  Look what your savior has done!  He's left and abandoned you!  What sort of leader is he!”  Gabriel shouted, panting a bit from the exertion.  Jonas looked to the two groups and began to speak.
“Look at this man.  See what he has done?  This man put his very life, his existence on the line, to show you the true colors of the charlatan that had promised you salvation and life.  He told you you were better, yet are you nothing but blind followers to his cause?  Come, from both groups, chose a representative.  We are not so different.  We are one in the same, devoted to our causes.  Yet you were deceived, and lied to.  Come, and let us end this foolish conflict.”  After a few moments, one of the men in white came forward, representing those that had followed Thomas.  Mr. Green stepped forward to represent the agents of Balaam.  “We are only men, who have followed our ideals.  You, followed Thomas in the belief that he would lead you to some higher salvation.  You followed a man, not an ideal.  And you.”
“We follow truth.”  Was what Mr. Green responded simply.
“We are not so different.  Go home.  Go on with your lives.  Leave this conflict behind.  And when the time comes for us to assemble once more, call me.”  He handed a small card to both men.  “You will know when the time is correct.  And you.”  He turned next to the members of the Sabbat.  “You have done good as well.  Go to your superiors and tell them what has happened.  Gabriel, come with me.”  Gabriel looked back to them and nodded.  
“Tell Setsuna what happened.  I'll be with Jonas.”  With that, the two left, heading to Jonas's limousine.  Gabriel groaned quietly in discomfort and hunger.  “I need blood, Jonas.  And I can't take it from the willing.”  Eventually they drove past a man who had been walking down the road.  Jonas rolled down the window.
“Get in.”  With what Gabriel assumed was the influence of Domination over him, the man walked in the car and shut the door.  The locks clicked closed.  He turned over to look at the man.  “We're going to kill you.”  The man suddenly began to panic, scrambling for the locked door.
“Perfect.”  Gabriel said, grabbing his arms and sending fire through his veins, making him scream in pain.  Gabriel sank his fangs into the man's arm and began to drink voraciously, blood healing his wounds and restoring his strength.  The man's body stiffened and then died, and Gabriel's body was soon clean and healed, although his clothes still remained in tatters.  “Ah.  That feels worlds better.  Danke, Jonas.”
“Bitte.”  Jonas responded.  They spoke as Jonas drove back to his home, speaking on the battle that had occurred that evening, and what Thomas had revealed in his divulgance of the name Lunatari Wells.  By the end of the ride, they had returned to Jonas's.  “Gabriel, stay here tonight and rest.  You may return to your haven tomorrow.”
They spoke on old times and old allies and enemies, and as the sun rose, both retired, a huge victory struck on their part against an enemy who's strength had rested in his follower's zealotry.  It had been a good night.