My, my I just can't lie,
It's the speed and the sound that am dying to try.
My, my I just can't lie,
It's the love of the chase that created the ride
-Lyrics to 'Adrenaline' performed by Shinedown'
Crimson Bonds Part 77
Closing the door behind himself as he stepped out into the hallway, Heero sighed heavily. Only a few feet away, Wufei and Trowa were sharing a quiet conversation, the scaly Infected's shoulders sagging heavily along with a deep sadness in his onyx-and-gold eyes. The Latin Original reached out to squeeze his cousin's shoulder at the end off their discussion.
Slowly approaching his brother-in-law, Yuy asked, "Are you alright?"
"Yea," Chang nodded to him, frowning in disappointment over his behavior. "I'm sorry I lost it in there." Shaking his head, he commented, "For years, I fought and served in battle and never lost my head or nerve once." His voice thick with emotion, he whispered, "But hearing her talk about Anna like that, I just... I couldn't take it."
Biting his lip, Yuy pulled his brother into a one-armed hug with a murmured, "I know. And you have nothing to be sorry about. I damn near fell apart in there, too." Mentally trying to shake the horrific images that Aisley had put into his head of his sister being harvested for parts, he shuddered.
After he was able to collect himself again, Heero pulled away, informing, "The only reason I was able to stay in there was so that I could put the fear of God in her." The corner of his mouth curling up, he shrugged, "I think I succeeded."
"Good," Chang smirked in return. "Fortunately, we won't have to worry about having to tolerate her for much longer." At that, he gestured to their tall cousin.
Nodding, Trowa informed, "I've contacted Treize to fill him in on all of this. In a moment, I'll be taking Aisley to the Vampire Council holding area so she can be shown to her new home until all of this is over. Once that's out of the way, we'll have more pleasant company to look forward to." To the confused faces watching him, he waved as he headed back down the hallway to retrieve the prisoner, with a grinned, "And with that cryptic sentiment, we'll see you soon."
Seconds after he opened the utility room and stepped inside, a flash of colorful light poured out into the hallway to signal his disappearance. Facing his brother once more, Yuy muttered, "I have no idea what he's plotting, but I'm glad we don't have to stand being anywhere near that woman any longer."
Wufei snorted, "You and me both."
At the sound of footsteps that fell so silently only their intensified senses of hearing were able to make out plainly, the Vampires turned to find Charles walking up. "Emma's sleeping in one of the guest rooms," he announced. "Poor kid stuffed herself full, got to introduce herself to me, John and Angela then couldn't keep her eyes open for very long after that. Midi just finished putting her to bed for now."
His gold-and-onyx eyes relaxing, his father sighed, "Good. She's had a pretty rough go for a while now and I want to make sure she's settled down enough before she has to answer a lot of questions that are very likely going to upset her."
Unable to help the amused grin spreading across his face, the Japanese Vampire held back a snicker. Chang was the consummate father figure, always taking a child's needs into consideration before his own. But he was right. The little girl had been through enough. And the only way she could be of any help was when she had all of her bearings in order.
"Well, I did notice one thing on her before she stepped out," the redheaded youngling was quick to chime in. "I know a Vampire's bite mark when I see one. And she had a one on her wrist."
* * * * * *
Broderick ran as far and hard as he could to reach the MacDonnell Ranges. [1]
As the highest ground with the most potential for places to hide, it was the Hunter's only option for security when he realized the situation he was in. Pulling on the straps of his backpack to take some of the weight off his back, he panted heavily and nearly collapsed when he took the last few strides into an opening at the foot of one of the massive rocks that he reached at last.
Desperately trying to catch his breath, Dawson threw his supplies onto the ground at his feet and fell down to sit atop a round stone that rose to his knees. Fishing out one of the canteens, he removed its cap and swallowed the entirety of its contents in a few large gulps. Sighing, he threw the container aside and peered out to the world. Judging from the brightness and position of the shrub shadows, it was approaching noon.
The sun was just coming up when he was left to die. He had been running for hours, only stopping when he absolutely could not continue running without a some time to breathe and rest his legs. Only now that he had found some measure of shelter, the living silently cursed himself for most likely doing exactly what his enemy wanted.
For the Vampire hunting him, this was a game that he was very much in charge of. And now Dawson had put himself at an early disadvantage by burning off so much energy in his run.
A deep, rumbling chuckle filled the air and vibrated off the hollow walls of the cavern.
Jumping to his feet, the mortal frantically removed a rifle from his back pack and released the safety. In one strong pull, he hoisted the weapon up to aim its long muzzle at the opening.
Several tense minutes passed without him so much as blinking in wait for his enemy to appear. But there was nothing. Not even a flash of movement to catch his eye peering through the scope of his gun.
Very slowly lowering the rifle, Dawson felt the sweat running down from his brow. There was a momentary grip of realization that the Infected that he had tracked down and killed must have felt exactly as he did now. His guilt for those days was immeasurable, but it was not helping him in the slightest at this present time.
Deciding that his stalker was not about to end his fun this soon, the Hunter strapped the gun over his right shoulder and sealed up the pack to sling its straps over his left side.
Carefully stepping out into the mouth of the opening to peer over his surroundings, Broderick noted the dark storm clouds that marred the otherwise clear skies in the distance. A few streaks of lightning bolts highlighted the threatening blanket that slowly crept its way towards him. In a matter of a couple hours, it would be on top of him.
"Just perfect," Dawson grumbled to himself. Quickly deciding on the direction to take, he made for a light jog to the right...
...pushing himself deeper into the mountain range.
* * * * * *
Septum Millers had poured everything he had into becoming the infamous captor of the Hybrids that his Uncle H had been responsible for researching before his death. Only acquiring them was not enough. He wanted to use them for his own self gain. Whatever their eventual masters wanted of them did not matter in the slightest to him when he would be living high on the hill for the rest of his days.
And now he was within reach of that ultimate goal.
Closing up the completed report from Doctor Berg, the researcher dry washed his face with his hands. "It's brilliant," he breathed as he continued to stare at the sealed folder sitting on top of his desk. "You outdid yourself, my friend. Thank you for your diligence."
"I'm just glad it's to your satisfaction," the old man smiled in relief. Behind his glasses, the rings under his eyes were dark and deep on account of the late hours he had been working to finish his work that would be presented to the Hybrids' interested buyers. "We've been waiting a long time for this."
Millers nodded, "That we have." Pushing the red folder towards the scientist, he instructed, "I want this information forwarded to all of our potential buyers immediately. See that they also receive the footage you collected from the attempted escape and make them aware that time is of the essence.'
Rubbing his hands together, he went on, "They'll need a couple of days to verify everything we've gathered and they'll have that, but the bidding will open up in three days time and close after twenty-four hours. There will be no second chances once it is done. If anyone has any questions, then they may contact me personally."
His stomach was a knot of nerves. Any other day, he would have wanted to be the one to deal with his people of interest. However, now that the time had come, he did not think he could handle the pressure.
Between the clock that was winding down on how long he had before he was discovered and now the deadline for the purchase of his prizes, Septum had never felt the weight of the world on him as he did in that moment.
Doctor Berg bowed at the waist as he collected the report and reassured, "It'll be handled as you wish." He began to turn on his heels when he stopped himself short and focused back on his friend. "Still no word from Lucie?" he asked quietly.
"No," Millers answered in a near whisper, his fingers drumming on the edge of his desk. "I still can't get through on her line and Damien is a bit preoccupied at the moment in getting rid of another nuisance of ours."
He couldn't even speak Broderick's name. Still hurt beyond reason by what his long-time ally had done, 'nuisance' was the only way he could think of the Hunter now. It was only a fitting end for him that he be taken out by a Vampire while at the same time his loyal, immortal accomplice was rewarded for his efforts over the years.
Raising his eyes to the old man, Septum questioned, "You'll be ready on a moment's notice to secure our little Siren should we attract any unwanted visitors? I'll get Adodera to safely remove those little demons, but you'll have to take care of the rest."
The doctor's lips curled up in that creepy, mischievous smile that even made Millers' hair stand on end. "I am waiting anxiously for the opportunity, be it under fire or when she comes to full term if we are lucky to make it to that time," Berg nodded firmly.
Waving his hand in the air, the researcher replied, "Good. Now get out of here and get to work." Not needing to be told twice, his associate turned and walked quickly through the door that opened to him and closed behind him.
Arms folding behind his head, Septum closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. "Soon," he told himself. "It will all be over soon."
Hours later...
Wufei looked up along with his family gathered at the long dining table when soft footsteps neared the room. To the yawning face entering, he smiled warmly, "Good morning, Emma. Did you sleep alright?"
Rubbing her eyes as she headed straight for him, the girl nodded, "Yea. Haven't slept like that in a long time." Heero, Charles, John and Angela grinned sadly in response and silently watched as she moved to the vacant chair beside the scaly Infected over any other available spot.
"I'll get breakfast started for you, sweetheart," Midi announced as she got to her feet from the head of the table. "Would you like pancakes and eggs?" She giggled when she received a wide smile and fervent nods as her answer. With a wink, the little mother said, "I'll get right on that, then."
Standing, Angela quickly offered, "I'll give you a hand there, Aunt Midi." Charles and John followed suit and joined her. Silently slipping from the room, the younglings and Companion gave the Preventers their space to begin their careful interrogation.
As Emma folded her hands on the edge of the table, Wufei frowned deeply when he caught a glimpse of what he had been searching for. Charles was right. The pair of perfectly spaced red circles that had begun to heal on the inside of her wrist belonged to a Vampire bite. His head tilting, he reached over to trace a scaly finger over the mark. "How did you get this, kiddo?" he inquired.
Instantly alert at her opportunity to speak up and help however she could, the lithe living gasped and met his gaze to respond excitedly, "Solo! He found out I'm a Companion and gave me a power to protect me until I was found by people I could trust!"
"Solo," Heero and Wufei breathed at the same time, their gold-ringed eyes widening and backs straightening rigidly.
When their stunned gazes met, the Japanese Original murmured, "So our theories were right. He's alive and is the reason why we can't use any of our powers to locate him, Duo or Anna."
The Chinese warrior faced the girl, adding, "That also why I can't read your mind. You're shielded from any Vampire gifts used on you now that he's turned you." His frown returning, he questioned, "But you said that Solo was protecting you? We've had a very... different opinion of him from the past when we were last acquainted with him."
Shaking her head vehemently, Emma insisted, "He told me he used ta be bad, but he's good now! Really! He got me outta that base and went ta help the others when Duo..." Her jaw hanging at the mention of the Hybrid, her growing eyes peered over to the Original sitting across from her.
Heero shot to his feet, a panicked expression on his face. That worry was only multiplied tenfold by the way his brother tensed while at the same time not at all appearing terribly shocked. "What about Duo?" he pressed, his head turning from the girl to Chang. "What's wrong?" He set a fiery glare on the immortal soldier and demanded, "What have you been hiding from me?"
Raising a scaly hand, Wufei insisted, "I didn't have all of the facts at the time, brother. Until recently, I had no idea that Rosie can see the future and I am still unsure as to how much of what she sees is real or open to interpretation. Until I knew for certain there was a need for concern, I weighed that there was no point in upsetting you."
Of course there was logic in that, however... "I would have appreciated a little bit of a heads up," Yuy gritted through his clenched teeth. Swallowing roughly, the scaly Vampire lowered his head and nodded shallowly in a sincere apology. He honestly meant no harm, the Original knew. And while he wanted to be angry, he knew that it was not warranted when all was said and done.
Forcing in a deep breath to calm himself, Heero sat back down into his chair and cleared his throat. Smiling sadly to the nervous child, he told her, "I'm sorry, Emma. There is no animosity here. I forget how much we all look out for each other in this family." Chang lifted his head at those words that had been spoken for his sake as much as the child's. Sighing, he gave a small grin of his own.
His hands folding on the table, Yuy requested quietly, "Now, what do the two of you know about Duo?"
* * * * * *
It had been a long, hard start to Broderick's first day of 'freedom'.
The whole time he moved through the MacDonnell Ranges, he could hear the sinister laughter and rush of air from the Vampire darting around at his heels. Every time, he would jump and spin with his rifle ready only to find himself alone once again as though he had imagined the sounds of some ghost nipping at him all the while.
Finally, Dawson's memory proved its merit when he reached Ellery Creek in the MacDonnell Ranges. [1]
Staggering through the wide mouth in the mountains, he collapsed onto his knees at the edge of the water and surveyed his cavernous hideaway. As expected, there were all kinds of places he could hide while having more than enough water to keep him alive for days... but would it matter at all given the opponent he was facing?
"Well, well, well," a deep voice mused on the other side of the wide creek.
His head jerking up, the wide-eyed Hunter took in the tall, muscular form standing atop a series of rocks ebbing from the waters edge only a few yards away from him. Glaring at the rugged face fixed with an amused smirk, he reached for his weapon when the Vampire raised a hand towards him. Instantly, Broderick's entire body locked in place as though he were made of stone.
A mutant. Not only was he up against an Infected, but he was dealing with a second or third removed from the Original line of Infected's to give him his unique ability. Just when the situation already seemed as dire as it was...
Loudly clicking his tongue, the dark-haired immortal waved a finger back-and-forth in the air. "Oh, I can't have you ending the game so soon, my friend. We've only just begun. I only wanted to do the decent thing of introducing myself," he purred.
Bowing dramatically, he smiled, "Name's Damien." As he righted himself, he went on, "I've been a close associate of Millers for quite some time now. Turns out he was smart enough to realize that he needed an unlikely accomplice and so he turned to enlist a Vampire to cover up his work. And a Rogue, like myself, is always willing to be of such service when keeping secrets means killing livings in the process."
Dawson's mind screamed in desperation for his body to move. But nothing responded to his commands. Even his opened hand hovering an inch away from the rifle at his side was frozen.
"I got to know some old acquaintances of yours, as you already know," Damian smiled. "You were looking them up when I followed you into Darwin a few weeks back." Squatting down, his hands moving through the air as he continued, "They all put up a good fight, let me reassure you. A couple of them proved to be impressive in the challenges they presented. However, none of them lasted terribly long. As a hunter of Hunters, I became quite bored. But you..."
Pointing at the still living, he grinned widely, "You, I have been told, are a Hunter's Hunter. One of the very best in the world. And so when presented with the opportunity to take on such a rival by means of a reward from Septum for my services, I jumped at the chance." Folding his arms, he chuckled darkly, "This is going to be a lot of fun."
A crack of thunder off in the distance rumbled the ground at their feet.
"Storm's coming," the Vampire smiled. "That should only make this all the more interesting." Rising back up, he informed, "Now, as for my power, no worries. This is the last time I'll be using it on you. I am a hunter of Hunters. I don't need such tricks to destroy you."
* * * * * *
Heero had a difficult time wrapping his head around what he had heard from Wufei and Emma regarding his Companion. How Duo could have allowed his rage to blind him beyond the point of reason... to drive him to viciously kill without remorse as though he craved it... such a thing was so out of his character the Japanese Original couldn't believe it.
At least, he didn't want to believe it. That all changed when his brother shared what he had seen through a prophetic vision of Shinigami surrounded by bodies and blood seconds before he sprang himself at Chang.
"H-how is any of this possible," Yuy breathed, his head shaking. "The last thing that Duo would ever willingly do is take a life when it's not necessary. Shinigami must have taken over his body somehow."
Swallowing roughly, the scaly Infected across from him frowned, "Heero... we all know that Duo made up that entity because he couldn't accept what he was capable of. He's been protecting himself for all of these years, but it's catching up with him thanks to the situation he's in. He had your babies and Anna to worry about while he's undergoing who knows what experiments Septum's putting him through. This was the snapping point and he doesn't know how to control himself anymore."
"Then we really don't have any time to waste," a familiar voice announced. Their heads turning, the brothers looked on as Relena led Quatre, Carol and Trowa into the room. Smiling to the stunned faces at the table, the Seer greeted, "Oh, I've missed you boys."
Quickly on their feet, Heero and Wufei embraced the Councilwoman and Quatre. Moving to his daughter for a tight hug, the scaly Infected sighed in relief. As they pulled back, he held onto her shoulders and asked, "What are you doing here, Bug? How are the others?"
Giggling, the pixie-haired redhead answered, "Everyone's fine. I know you're still on the run from Hunters, but Uncle Trowa and Relena said that I can be of help." At that, she gestured to the legal-sized pad of sketch paper and case of pencils that she had tucked under her arm. "The Preventers are going to need pictures of the who's who in Septum's lair."
His onyx-and-gold eyes widening in understanding, Chang smiled and nodded.
Relena rubbed her hands together and commented, "Emma might not remember where the base is, but she is going to be a lot more help than she realizes." Focused on the brothers, she grinned, "So, please show me to the child."
TBC...
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacDonnell_Ranges
[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ellery_Creek_.jpg
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