[color=silver] [img]https://i.imgur.com/RUeksDd.jpeg[/img] [Center][h2][color=goldenrod]Dominic Blackmoor[/color][/h2][/center] [center][color=black][sup]____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________[/sup][/color][/center] [center][color=goldenrod][b]Location:[/b][/color] Church • [color=goldenrod][b]Time:[/b][/color] Dusk[/center] [center][color=goldenrod][b] Mentions / Interactions:[/b][/color] His Pack •[/center] [center][color=black][sup]____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________[/sup][/color][/center] The door groaned shut behind the last body that crossed the threshold, the sound dragging behind it like the end of a long, tired breath. Boots scuffed against concrete. Chairs scraped their way into place, legs creaking beneath the weight of men and women who’d seen too much and some who hadn’t seen nearly enough. The air inside this den of wolves was already thick, not from smoke, but from breath, heat, and plenty of tension. Near the back, a voice cut through. Not loud, just young and [i]wrong[/i], sharp with that idiot confidence only fresh meat could manage. Whatever he said was followed by a ignorant little laugh. Something stupid enough to usually make his companions join in...but no one did. Dom looked up and locked eyes with the kid, and the shift in the room was instant. Every Iron Fang in that space could feel it, that sudden and harsh drop in pressure. Dom’s stare wasn’t rage, not tonight. It was colder than that. The prospect froze, mouth still half-open, and whatever cocky blood had been pumping in his veins turned to ice water. One of the other prospects tapped him on the shoulder as though to tell him that he needed to chill out, that he wasn’t supposed to goof off here. The gesture was unnecessary, to be honest, since Dom’s eyes communicated the message more than clearly. The prospect shut up, sat still, and didn't move again. There had always been weight behind Dominic Blackmoor. He didn’t need to shout to be heard, didn’t need to fight to prove he could kill. His younger days had proven just how much of a killer he [i]could be[/i], if needed. He had a presence that filled a room before he spoke, and stayed long after he left. But tonight, something was different in him. Tonight, Dom looked more dangerous than even the beasts they could all collectively shift into. Dom turned and reached behind the chair at the head of the table, the old, scarred throne that only he sat in. He pulled the case out from beneath it, same case they only opened when Church was in session. Every pair of eyes in the room followed him. No one breathed too loud, and not a soul blinked. He opened it. Inside, wrapped in cloth older than some of the youngbloods in the room, was [b]the gavel[/b]. It was made from silver as pure as any that existed in this world. This wasn't just for show or for ritual, it was tradition. Dom carefully unwrapped the cloth around it and took it into his hand. The sound was immediate. A sharp, wet hiss that curled through the air like a snake under coals. Smoke rose from his palm. The stink of burning flesh crept into the air. He didn’t flinch or grunt or hesitate. Didn’t even look down. He lifted it slow with intention and then brought it down hard against the table. The crack of it rang like a gunshot in a canyon, sharp enough to pull the breath out of your chest. The sound echoed off the walls and no one said a word. Dom placed the gavel aside, slow and careful, hand still smoking, skin blistered and raw around the grip. Still, he didn’t so much as glance at the damage. Instead, he reached down and pulled Logan's ring from his burned hand and laid it on the table next to him...right where Logan used to sit, the spot that would stay empty after this night ended. At least for now. Dom let the silence stretch. Then finally, he spoke. And when he did, it came from somewhere deep and cold, somewhere so full of grief and fury it was a wonder the room didn’t shake with it. [color=goldenrod]"Church is in session."[/color] His gaze swept across the room. He witnessed every single one of them feel it, the weight of what they’d lost. [color=goldenrod]"Logan…Our brother,"[/color] he started, voice low like a thunderstorm, [color=goldenrod]"was found in the old glassworks warehouse tonight."[/color] That was it. No lead-in, no sugar coating…just the truth, cut clean. [color=goldenrod]"He was tortured, brutalized, murdered, and left there like trash. They knew who he was, they knew what he meant, and they did it anyway."[/color] His knuckles whitened against the table, blistered hand curling like he wanted to punch God in the mouth. [color=goldenrod]"This wasn’t just a kill...It was a message, and I need you all to understand that we're gonna answer it."[/color] He looked down at the ring, then back at them. [color=goldenrod]"I need you to dig. Do you hear me? I need all of you to help me figure out who did this to our brother. And once they are found, we are going to remind this entire city what happens when you spill [i]our blood[/i] right here in [i]our own fucking territory.[/i]"[/color] He straightened, shoulders square, and let his eyes meet each and every one of theirs. [color=goldenrod]"You know I don’t want to go to war. It's not what I preach. Never has been...But I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure that my brothers and sisters are vindicated. Find whoever it is that's hunting our family and bring them to me. Plain and simple."[/color] His words held all the finality of the book of Revelation. He was serious, and he needed them to deliver on this mission. There was a pause, as Dom's words spread across the room and into the minds of the only family that mattered. Before anyone else could respond, he said his final piece. [color=goldenrod]"This is your chance to speak. Say what you need to say now, whether it’s words for Logan, questions for me…or if you have information about the ones who did this. Now's your chance. Once we leave this table, it’s blood for blood."[/color][/color]