longislandiceme | FELLOWSHIP OF THE SUN'S RECRUITMENT CENTER, DALLAS [THURSDAY EVENING (Reply)

Bobby had shed the Iceman look about half a block from the church and slipped into the change of clothes he'd brought along with him (thank god for convenient alleyways, he really didn't need to be accused of exhibitionism again) before heading up to the church.

Trying the front door and finding it unlocked, Bobby slipped inside quietly, looking around for a door to the basement Sookie had mentioned.

Light of Day Member	"Hey there!" A small group of men in light blue shirts reading "LODI" had rounded the corner. None of them seemed particularly unfriendly -- cautious, though, yes. Each of them carried a stake, though. "Can I help you? Fellowship Center's closed."
Bobby	"I was just looking for- closed?" Bobby put on what he hoped was an appropriately disappointed look. "That's too bad. Just my luck."
Light of Day Member	"'Cept for those of us with Steve," one of the men piped up. "We're s'posed to man the exit." He gave Bobby a suspicious look, and added, "You a new recruit?"
Sookie	Sookie, meanwhile, had just managed to sneak out from the basement, and when she heard voices, she stopped in her tracks, only peeking around the corner enough to see that that was Bobby. She warred with herself for a moment, debating whether or not to alert him to her presence. What she did do was fix her sights on him a little more carefully, getting a clear image of the tableau. Then she shut her eyes, brushed up against his shields, and sent her view. He'd know where she was, if nothing else. << Got your back. Don't let them know I'm out. Keep acting like you're one of them. >>
Bobby	"Yeah," Bobby nodded. "That's me. Name's Drake Roberts," he said, forcing a friendly grin and sticking out a hand.
Light of Day Member	They eyed him, and one asked, "There's a vampire on the loose, you know. Where's your stake?"
Bobby	"I, uh," Bobby's eyes widened and he patted down his pockets as if looking for a stake. "Must've left it in my other pants?"
Light of Day Member	The man who'd been talking to him held up his stake -- large as his own forearm -- and said, skeptically, "Really." Meanwhile, the only Light of Day boy who'd been silent up to this point had circled around to Bobby's back, his own stake clutched in his hand. He raised it --
Sookie	"STAKE!" Sookie screamed, no longer caring about her cover. In the split-second it took her to yell that, the man's reflexes reacted, and he drove the stake in question down at Bobby.
Bobby	Thankfully for Bobby, his instincts were faster than the man's reflexes, and he iced up before the stake connected. And went right through him, leaving Bobby staring down at his chest which now had a freaking chunk of wood protruding from it. But... no blood. And it didn't hurt. That was a good sign, right? "What the hell was that for?" Bobby managed, turning to face the guy who had staked (FREAKING STAKED!) him.
Sookie	The guy was sort of staring in amazement, but not for long. He -- and his companions -- raised their stakes, moving in to strike again. "Some kinda freak fang -- " "Get away from him!" Sookie slammed into the man, having run over from her hiding spot. A bolt of purple energy shot him across the room to where he landed in a slump, and she glared at the remaining two Light of Day boys, her hands sparkling with the bolts coursing across her fingers. "You better believe I'll do the same to you if you don't put those stakes down right now," she snapped. She turned her attention to Bobby, her expression turning from anger to worry to panic. "Holy God, are you okay?" she asked, her hand shaking as she reached up to touch the stake.
Bobby	"I- I think so?" Bobby said, a bit shakily. "He staked me," he observed. "And you look kinda, kinda funny." A pause. "Can you take it out?" he pleaded.
Sookie	"I -- yeah." She bit her lower lip, trying to steady her hands, and gripped the stake. "Does it hurt?"
Bobby	"Not really?" Bobby said, searching for a way to explain it. "I can feel it, but it doesn't hurt. Not the way it should."
Sookie	Sookie nodded, praying silently as she gave a sharp, hard yank to tug it out of him. With the stake in her hand, she stared down at his chest. "I'm so sorry," she mumbled.
Bobby	"It's not your fault," Bobby tried to assure her, even as he resisted the urge to poke a hand through the hole. He had no idea how he was going to fix this. Oh god, was he going to have to go through the rest of his life with a gaping hole in his chest? Stop being such a baby, Robert, something whispered in the back of his mind.
Sookie	"You sure?" Sookie asked, a little wobbily as she reached for his hand, trying to comfort however she could. Because he had a giant hole in his chest, even if it didn't hurt. "'Cause I'm pretty sure my stupid plan got you -- Don't you two try anything!" Her attention had shifted to the two men over Bobby's shoulder, who were now kneeling to pick up their stakes. "You just tell us where the exits are before I zap your heads off."
Steve	"The nearest exit, for you," called a voice near the other end of the sanctuary, "is straight to Hell." Steve Newlin was crossing from around the pulpit, heading toward them. As though on cue, dozens of large men wearing Light of Day sweatshirts started pouring through the doors on either side of him, and from the doors behind Bobby and Sookie -- each of them armed with a stake, a chain, or both.
Sookie	Sookie thought quickly, looking around. "Let us leave," she pleaded. "Save yourselves. No one has to die." It was a much more confident statement than the one she felt like making, which mostly involved crying.
Steve	"The war has begun, you evil whore of Satan," Steve replied, spreading his arms expansively. "You vampires cast the first stone by killing my family. The lines have been drawn. You're either with us, or against us."
Bobby	"Oh you did not just call my girlfriend what I think you called her," Bobby ground out. "Cause saying shit like that just really pisses me off." At his feet, a small patch of ice appeared, one that rapidly grew outward until it wasn't so small anymore, reaching out to cover the pews, up the altar, and over the windows, until the inside of the room rather resembled a New York winter rather than a Texas summer. "Care to guess what my choice was?" he asked flippantly.
Sookie	Steve clearly had never seen something like this before -- and while Bobby probably wasn't a vampire himself, he was a tool of theirs. This was what Sookie picked up, focusing on Steve's thoughts as she murmured, "Oh, honey, that was either real smart, or we're gonna die." Louder, though, she said, "We choose against," reverberating the last word through all their minds.
Steve	These displays of power were met with bewildered looks from the Light of Day men (some of whom were now shivering), and a calm look from Steve. "We," he said slowly, "are prepared for Armageddon."
Bobby	Bobby wondered how serious he was about that. There was, after all, at least one alternate future where he actually had caused the end of the world. "News for you, buddy," Bobby told him, looking him right in the eye. "Hell ain't hot- it's cold. And you've just earned yourself a seat on the express train." On that last word, he faltered just a bit. The hole in his chest might not hurt, exactly, but between that and the little winter wonderland he'd just whipped up, it had taken a lot out of him. Pun intended.
Sookie	"The vampire you're holding prisoner got away," Sookie replied, holding tight to Bobby's hand. Cold as it was, she barely felt it. She could tell he was losing steam, though, and they had to move fast. "He's a sheriff. He's bound to send for help!"
Steve	"I'm not concerned with Godric," Steve said dismissively. "Any vampire will do for our grand celebration. And even if I'm not sure what you are," he continued, looking down at Bobby, "you're definitely working for them. And our congregation will appreciate us following the spirit of you meeting the sun, even if we have to light you ourselves." He grinned. "You might take awhile to burn, but she won't." Steve addressed his congregation, as Sookie went very, very still. "Brothers and sisters, there will be a holy bonfire tomorrow."
Eric	It might not be terribly surprising to anyone who'd ever seen a movie or read a novel about them, but vampires had a fondness for making dramatic entrances. So when the tension in the church was at its absolute peak, the doors at the back of it rocked back on their hinges and in stalked a dozen of the vampires in Stan's area, Eric falling quickly to the back of the pack.
Stan	"Steve Newlin!" Stan boomed, his spurs clicking against the ice. The other vampires were looking curiously around at the transformed sanctuary, but Stan was looking straight at Steve. "You pushed us too far. You expect us to sit on our thumbs while you round up your men to come lynch us? We'll kill you first." He dropped his voice, silkily. "Same way we did your father."
Sookie	And Sookie, who knew all about the Newlin killings from months ago, sighed, "Oh, god, no." Because nothing could really have been worse than for Stan to admit that. All he'd done, she knew, was give credence to the Fellowship's claims. Wonderful.
Eric	Eric was glad he'd fallen to the back--this way the chances of getting caught as he rolled his eyes were slim. He slipped out from the group of vampires with surprising speed and made his way to Sookie and Bobby. "I told you I'd have your back," he said, sounding a little smug. Because being surrounded by insane, heavily armed people who felt they had God on their side was nothing to be overly concerned about.
Sookie	"Hush, you," Sookie hissed, staring as Steve Newlin actually wailed, "NOOOOOOO!" ~~And then sent a large donation check from the Fellowship to the Skywalker family.~~ "Murderer," he spat, lunging for Stan, any pretense of civility completely gone.
Eric	Well, since Steve started it... Eric moved impossibly fast and caught the man by the neck, fangs extended.
Stan	"Destroy them," Stan growled, as Steve struggled, gasping, against Eric's hand. With that, the vampires sped across the room too quick to see, and each of the assembled Light of Day boys had a vampire pulling their head to one side to expose their neck.
Sookie	Sookie and Bobby, however, were left untouched. "Stop them!" Sookie yelled, looking around frantically. "Stop them -- don't kill them!"
Eric	Eric blinked at her, looking a little conflicted. He didn't bite down, though.
Bobby	"Can't we just, um... talk this out?" Bobby tried. The vampires, too, looked different than they had before, and it wasn't just because they were all fangy now.
Godric	Sookie had just realized that maybe this ought to be their exit cue when a commanding voice called, "Enough." And the vampires all actually listened, halting. Standing above where Steve had entered, framed by the sanctuary's windows, was Godric. "You came for me, I assume," he continued. "Underling." Stan was still hovering his fangs over a man's neck, but he paused. "Yes, Sheriff." "These people," Godric said calmly, "have not harmed me. You see, we can coexist. Mr. Newlin? I do not wish to create bloodshed when none is called for. Help me set an example. If we leave you in peace, will you do the same?"
Steve	"I will not," Steve said shakily, "negotiate with sub-humans."
Bobby	Oooh, that word was just gonna make Bobby cranky as hell (you know, as if he wasn't already). Good job, Steve. "What is it with the things that come out of your mouth being things that piss me the hell off?" he asked. "Never mind, I know the answer. You're an idiot, end of story."
Steve	"Kill me," Steve said, ignoring Bobby -- and Sookie's gasp at Steve's words, as well as those echoing through his congregation -- and baring his neck to Eric. "Jesus will protect me."
Eric	Eric rolled his eyes at Steve before focusing his attention back on Godric. "That man up there is older than your Jesus."
Godric	Godric, for his part, gave a little smile. "I wish I could have known him. But I missed it." In a flash, he was down on the floor, grabbing Steve by the collar of his shirt. "Good people," he said, calmly. "Who of you is willing to die for this man's madness?" As the Fellowship members looked to one another and no one answered, Godric said, "That's what I thought. Stand down, everyone. People -- go home. It's over now."
Sookie	"Oh, thank God," Sookie sighed, tempted to actually collapse, but settled for leaning a little against Bobby. The iciness finally actually registered. "Is the...hole keeping you from changing back?"
Bobby	"It's not that so much as I don't know how," Bobby said. "And what if I change back and it's still there?"
Eric	"There's a hole in you?" Eric asked, looking almost interested.
Bobby	Bobby nodded, turning so that Eric could see the stake-shaped hole right where his heart would be, were he currently not made of ice. "Seems they found the vampire act a little too convincing."
Eric	"That has to sting," Eric said, tilting his head. "I had no idea they were that well-trained. Most people can't find the heart." Very helpful, Eric.
Sookie	"I guess they train their terrorists well here," Sookie said, still looking upsettedly at Bobby's gaping chest.
Godric	Godric came over, frowning at Steve, who was pleading for people to stay. "I daresay my faith in humans is stronger than yours," he said, before addressing Eric, Sookie, and Bobby (who got a curious look.) "To my nest? You will all be safe there."