Chapter 32: The Ambush

                                    

                                          
The assault was swift and drastic; the assassins with X-Bows fanned out and began opening fire on Balfort from a safe distance, while those with the modified brass knuckles began diving at the vampire lord from every direction, trying their best to score a clean hit on him. All the while, Frank Vargas barked out orders on how best to get the drop on him. After all, what better message to give to the Vermillion Enclave about the humans' supremacy.....than by delivering the vampire lord's impaled body right to their doorstep? 
"NOOOO!" Garson cried, trying to get them to stop. He even attempted to dive into the fray and protect Balfort, but was knocked away almost immediately, with his body slamming against a nearby rock as he went unresponsive.
Surprisingly enough, though, Balfort held up against the Dark Stake's attacks very well, displaying that he was just as good on the battlefield as he was on the Enclave's throne. A minion tried to deck him with their knuckles across his deathly-pale face, but the lord seized them by the wrist and spun them around in circles, slamming them against three other grunts before throwing them into a fourth one who was just about to line up a perfect X-Bow shot. 
Another goon let a crossbow bolt loose from his weapon, but Balfort dodged it Matrix-style, causing them to miss horribly.....and accidentally nail another foe in the foot instead, much to their horror. 
"Quick! Two of you get them to safety! The rest of us will take care of this pest," Frank instructed as a pair of Dark Stake followers brought their injured comrade to the sidelines. Balfort attempted to give chase, but was dogpiled by the rest of the Dark Stake's forces, most of which used their brass knuckles to deliver several burning cuts to Balfort's body. 
Despite being in immense pain, the vampire lord threw all of them aside and attempted to make a break for it, with Frank Vargas and his team fiercely giving chase.....leaving Garson slumped against the rock, once again proving that Frank favored his goal of eliminating the vampires over his own family.
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Lily was also currently on her way back to the Vermillion Enclave, after having embarked on a successful mission to the capital that resulted in the deaths of X, XII, XIII, and The Butcher. As she soared over the Enclave's surrounding vegetation, she thought she could see a series of figures running through the woods below. 
Huh? she thought to herself, confused. What's going on down there? 
She lowered her flight trajectory a little so she could get a closer look. The entity at the front of the charge looked to be a well-built, regal-looking vampire, clutching his side and grimacing in pain, just barely managing to stay ahead of everyone behind him. The rest of the party—his pursuers—all wore hoodies with Roman numerals sewn into the fabric, full masks—which completely covered their entire heads—with bright-red, glowing eyes, with about one-fourth of them wielding X-Bows with deadly efficiency. The other three-fourths had what appeared to be brass knuckles affixed to their fists, but made out of the same material as the X-Bow bolts. 
Lily then turned her head to the right, in the direction everyone seemed to be running away from. There, she spotted Garson, Mavis's love interest, alone, unconscious, and slumped against a rock. In that moment, she had a decision to make; should she join Balfort and aid him, using her silenced pistol to continue slaughtering the Dark Stake members unseen, covering the vampire lord's back, and resuming her task of avenging her parents? Or should she try to resuscitate Garson and bring him into the fray, knowing that Mavis would certainly be elated to learn that he was okay.....at the risk of letting Balfort's attackers get away and leaving Balfort himself in danger?