Captive

Nik shook the glitter from Angel's performance out of his hair, the white shiny things clinging to everything he touched. She'd been fantastic up there, but now he needed peace. She wouldn't be allowed down here anymore. Not with what they were holding here.

Zab had put a disillusionment charm on the cages, and something that Nik had stopped trying to understand. He couldn't see the cage or the occupant, but he knew it was there. This was the newest one. Other cages with similar enchantments were around the seemingly empty room, and he stopped at each of them, laying a small bowl of human blood at each on the left of the room, and slipping a few pieces of raw meat in the others. He watched as they disappeared inside each of them, coming to a stop at the newest cage, and slipping a bowl of blood into this one too.

The scent of the Vervain that was covering the bars made Nik grin, and he stopped to look through a small hitch in the disillusionment charm, looking in at the man in there.

"You're to be our new star." He confided.

A weak chuckled escaped Merles lips as he opened one eye from his position propped up against the bars. He had no idea how long he'd been here now, he'd lost count but one thing was for certain. He'd been too weak to fight off a poxy human.

"And what if your star attraction choses to die?" He laughed, using what left of his power to avoid downing the contents of the blood like the other animals here with him. He may be caged like an animal and treated like one but he still had his dignaty.

"Well then." Nik said cheerfully. "The Star would have to be a werewolf then, instead of a Vampire, and you would not get your chance to kill any weres at all. Pity." He placed another bowl into the cage, this one almost overbrimming with blood. "The weres would win. That's a shame."

Cocking his head to the side slightly, he smiled. "Let me explain how the game works." He said slowly, placing another bowl into the cage. "You fight whoever the Wheel says you fight. You win, and it goes toward your total. You only need fifty fights. Some nights you fight once, sometimes you don't fight at all, and if the wheel wills it, you could fight every fight all night; unless you lose." He looked around the room. "If the wheel says you fight, then you fight, or you can sit there as a Wolf tears you to shreds. Whatever makes you happier. But once you win Fifty fights, your free to go. You can just walk away, and never return. You can just leave. Just like that." He smiled. "Fifty fights. That's it. No less. And you have be the victor."

But the only way to become victor was to kill ever single opponant, and no one ever made it to fifty fights. The odds were just impossible. Everyone had a bad day, and that bad day killed them every time. Foolproof. And the money it brought in. Amazing what people would bet on.

"Please, Star. Drink."

He glanced at the other bowl of blood and then smirked at Niklaus. "You trying to fatten me up? Slow me down for the big fights?" He joked. "I'd rather you not tempt me with so much blood, i cannot control my thirst like most others. It sends me into a frenzy you wont want me in. Im beyond reasoning. No i stick to an animal."

"Just werewolves and vampires?" He asked. It seemed simple enough, he was old enough to kill both not to mention the fact he couldn't die. "And once i've won these 50 fights im free to go, no strings attatched?" He asked, because that clearly wasn't right. There was nothing stopping him walking free from here and slaughtering them all. Obviously no one made it to their 50th fight but there was a first for everything.

"Begging. Such an ugly trait. Take those away." He said refusing the blood. How long he could go without blood before caving he didn't know but he knew it wouldn't but much longer. A day or two tops. He needed animal blood and he needed it now.

Nik shrugged, but left the blood there. "If you don't want to drink it, then don't. It's the only blood we've got. Angel'd go nuts if we took blood from the horses." The Ringmaster glanced behind the man, to the other occupants of the cell. "Give it to them. They'd like an extra ration."

"Only werewolves and Vampires." he said, nodding. "Until we catch something more interesting." He grinned. "Well, of course there's a string; what kind of business man would I be if there wasn't?" He shook his head. "If you do survive, you'll have to face Angel Smerti in the ring." He said, a hungry grin flitting across his face. "But I'm sure you'll have no problem."

He ignored the order - like he'd take orders from a man weak enough to be caught by Zab - and looked over his shoulder for a long moment, a slow, manic grin growing across his face.

"Hear that?" He asked. Above, there was the sound of moving feet. The circus was emptying.

"What happens next is very simple." Nik said, the grin growing with the volume of his voice. "The tent clears, and I spin the wheel. When the two are selected, the cages will move to the edges of the room, and each fighter will get out." He stepped back, into the center of the cavern, turning to adress each cage in turn, his voice turning to the one of the Ringmaster.

"Then, they will fight." He pulled out his hat, huge and purple in the style of the Mad Hatter. He placed it slowly on his head, casting his face in shadow as bright spotlights began to click on, each illuminating him a notch brighter than the one before. He looked up slightly, the light glinting off dangerously smug grin as the cages slid across the stone to their place against the walls. "And the winner will take all!"

He walked over to the wheel and gave it a spin. Two spins later, he was calling out the name of the two faceless werewolves and backing out of the ring.

"It is a very simple game, yes?" He asked Star, beaming up at him. "I can't wait to see you fight." He moved to the entrance of the room, unconcerned with the wall of rock sliding shut toward him.

"In one hour!" He called. "Showtime!" Then the man was gone and the rock slammed home.

Merle closed his eyes and held his breath. It was bad enough knowing the blood was there without having his senses picking it up too. But the temptation was becoming overwhelming, even his fangs were prickling uncomfortably against his gums.

He snorted, making the mistake of inhaling the scent and immediately clapped a hand over his mouth. He growled as his eyes blacked over and the veins surrounding his eyes came to the surface. But before he knew what he was doing he found himself looking at the empty bowls beside him licking the blood off his lips.

"No!" He moaned throwing the bowls at the bars. What had he done? He'd shown weakness when he'd needed his strength the most. Now he was going to have to face that torture all over again.

"Angel Smerti?" He asked, feeling slightly defeated. For centuries he'd controlled his thirst just for him to throw it all away in those few minutes. He'd never felt so annoyed with himself, but he wanted more. "I need more!"

"Hmm, look forward to it." He muttered to himself as he threw himself back against the bars of the cage. His cravings for blood had sent his senses into over drive so right now all those heart above him had his fangs aching with hungry.