Silence is the enemy
Against your urgency
So rally up the demons of your soul
Do you know the enemy? Do you know your enemy?
Well, gotta know the enemy
-Lyrics to 'Know Your Enemy' performed by Green Day
Crimson Bonds Part 12
Staring at the black-and-white image on his cell phone in disbelief, Broderick blinked his widened eyes.
Of all the Hunters working for Septum, Mark Barrett was the last person that Dawson would have ever guessed to be the one to make such a discovery in their search for the Yuy-Barton Clan. He a boy looking for the next thrill as opposed to someone to be taken seriously. How he had won over their employer to be brought into the fold baffled the rest of the team.
But clearly the scientist had seen the right thing in the youngest member of the staff to have come up with this gem.
"Lucky bastard," Broderick muttered under his breath as he turned his phone off and stuffed it into his pants pocket.
There were only three years difference between him and Barnett in reality. In the manner of their maturity levels, however, they may as well have been born decades apart. Luck was the only possible excuse to how the little pain in the ass who refused to grow up had stumbled across his find.
However Mark had come across the photo, and whatever else came with it, did not matter. It shed quite the new light onto the Barton-Yuy Clan and their mark on world history. For Vampires to have found a way to get involved in the second World War in any aspect, something that had been strictly forbidden by the Vampire Council at the time, without being discovered was a remarkable feat.
Should such news break in this current day and age the family of Infected would be revered for their heroism and selflessness. Back then, they would have been shackled behind bars for the remainder of their existences... if not killed for what would have been considered treasonous meddling into the lives of the humans.
For Dawson, it was a surprising revelation. A redeeming quality for the Vampires on the surface... but there must have been some agenda behind it. No doubt they had bargained with the Holocaust victims that they had saved for whatever valuables were still in their names... or their blood.
There had to have been more to it than how it appeared at first glance. There was no other explanation as far as Broderick was concerned.
Leaning back in the chair of his hotel's spare room, Broderick stared up at the wall he had turned into a life-sized chart of taped pictures and erasable marker notes and lines connecting the pieces together.
The five pictures spaced out at the top were the head shots of the Vampires that made up the Yuy-Barton Clan. Beneath their photos were shorthanded bits of information specific to those individuals written in black ink...
Trowa Barton:
*son of vineyard parents
*neighbor and childhood sweetheart to Midi
*taken by doctors when TB claimed him
*OriginalHeero Yuy:
*worldly traveled son of merchants
*fell ill, sold by parents to doctors
*bed-side mate of Trowa Barton
*OriginalMidi Barton:
*turned by Trowa Barton when he returned to her
*deemed cousin of Heero Yuy and his 'family'
*matriarch of Barton-Yuy Clan.Anna Yuy-Chang:
*orphaned performer and swindler in Ireland
*turned by Heero Yuy- reason unknown - considered sister to the Original
*creator/Chosen of Wufei Chang
*served ten years in prison for his turningWufei Chang:
*honorable soldier in the Boxer Rebellion
*turned against will by Anna Yuy but pleaded for her existence at her trial
*mutation turned skin to impenetrable scales
*last of the Vampires to be created
Such were the details Dawson had gathered over his time in the field. On the surface it may not have been much, but he was a firm believer that one needed to know all they could about their enemies before moving in for the strike.
The red lines tying the tight family on the metal wall were etched in thickly, signifying how strong those bonds were. But there was that large gap between Heero and Anna, his claimed sister. Where his so-called cousins and siblings had their own kinks to their significant Others, Yuy had no one. Instead of a picture filling that hole, there was a red circle wrapped around a question mark.
An Original would have been close to death by now without their Chosen Companion to provide the blood that they needed for survival. And yet Heero had not reported into the annual Harvests meant to sustain Infected in his situation.
Oh yes, there was the suggested theory that Yuy was long deceased along with the rest of his Clan. But the more and more Broderick investigated their history, the more he came to agree with Septum. The family was now complete... and were now protecting the identity of their newest member by going into hiding.
There was only one possible explanation to why such discretion would be taken. A Hybrid was indeed in their midst.
Septum would have been most displeased if he learned that one of his best Hunters had been spending his time confirming the scientist's notion of such a creature. But due to the overwhelming evidence before him, Dawson was officially on as the most resolved Hunter at his disposal.
Rising from his seat to stand in front of his chart, the tall young man stared at the circled question mark. The corner of his mouth curling, Broderick recalled the name of the twin reported in Instructor H's logs. "I look forward to meeting you, Duo."
*& *& *& *& *& *
The next couple of weeks rolled by at a clip. All over the media, the majority of news updates were focused on the lead up to the changes that could be implemented to the Human-Vampire Treaty. With approaching debates and more votes, the sensationalizing of the topic came s no surprise.
However, for one family of Vampires who had been assured that all would be fine, there was a far more pressing matter at the forefront of their mind.
After indulging in a drink from his wife in the early morning, Wufei had tasted a hint of bitterness that he was all too familiar with. Anna was going to be ovulating in a matter of hours.
Sally was called immediately and she cleared her calendar for the afternoon to have her office to herself. With her green light, Heero and Duo drove with their siblings to the clinic.
There was little by means of discussion amongst the tight group as Chang took the wheel to navigate them through the back roads to Po's practice. And when they walked through the isolated hallway to approach the Companion waiting for them, it was next to impossible to say who was more nervous out of the bunch.
Picking up on her friends' anxieties, Sally's smile grew as she giggled, "Easy, everyone. We're trying to make a baby, not dismantle a nuclear bomb." Her sentiment served its purpose in making the immortals laugh and relax a bit.
Her braided head nodding to the Hybrid, Po announced, "Well, no point in stalling things." She held up a capped plastic container, smirking, "Second door to the left is all set up for you. Time to put those swimmers of yours to the test."
Blinking his enlarged Violet-and-silver eyes, Duo sputtered out of embarrassment before he cleared his throat with an undignified expression and took hold of the cup. Wufei laughed as he shook his sibling's shoulders. "Welcome to the club, little brother," he snickered. "I'm glad I'm not the only one in the family to have had to endure that." His teasing was repaid with a snort and a fiery glare from the half-breed.
"There's a small door in the wall that you can place the sample in when you're finished," Sally went on to inform, her own amusement only growing on her face. "I'll take over from there." Raising an eyebrow, she offered, "Unless you need me to go into detail on how to best move things-"
Maxwell threw his free hand in the air to cut her off as he exclaimed, "I got it! I got it! I don't need any help there!" To the chorus of hysteria floating through the group, he eyed the designated room and shook his head, "I suppose a bit of humility is a small price to pay for all of this."
Winking at him with a nudge, Anna giggled, "Don't worry, Duo. What happens between the family stays with the family." She fell back into a louder fit of laughter at the swat that she narrowly backed away from in time.
Sally warned, "Oh, I wouldn't push too far on the teasing if I were you, sweetheart." Back righting rigidly, the redhead stared in wide-eyed panic at the reclined back chair fixed with foot stirrups and a cloth drape that was revealed when her friend opened the door behind her. Patting the edge of the cushioned seat poised atop a small lift, the braided woman smiled, "You and I have a date of our own."
Anna swallowed roughly and collected herself enough to sigh, "Yea, well, I don't kiss on the first date just so you know to not get your hopes up." Po's head fell back with her laughter as the redhead grinned smugly to herself for keeping some of her dignity. Turning to face her husband, she said nervously under her breath, "I'll see you when I see you, then."
With that, all joking was aside as the seriousness of what was taking place set in.
"It'll be fine, love," Wufei reassured, smiling lovingly as he pulled her close. "We'll be right here when you step out." Nodding, the Irish Infected brightened at that and leaned to meet him in the middle for sweet kiss.
Slowly pulling away from her husband, the Siren shrugged to the couple standing by, "Good luck, brothers. Here's hoping this works." Her words hardly had a moment to hang in the air before she was taken in by a fierce hug by her creator and given a peck to her lips.
Doing his best to keep his emotions in check, Heero rested their foreheads together and said softly, "Whatever happens, Duo and I will be more than happy with your simply attempting to do this for us, dear one." Unable to voice his own backing of the sentiment, the Hybrid made just enough room for himself to latch onto the redhead as he buried his face in her shoulder.
Already easing thanks to their contentment, Anna hugged her brothers back in kind. "Okay," she chuckled as she freed herself to wave a hand at her shimmering eyes. "Let's get on with it, then," she suggested.
Touched by the whole scene, Sally looked on with a warm grin as her former nurse headed into the examination lab with her. Letting out a deep breath, Duo gave his Vampire a quick kiss and headed off the next room.
When they soon found themselves alone, Chang watched his Clan's patriarch stare worriedly at the two closed doors. Biting the inside of his cheek, the scaly Infected forgot about his own nerves over Anna to feel more for Heero's position of fretting over not only his current family but the one that he was longing to have.
"Let's go, brother," Wufei snickered as he wrapped an arm around the Original's shoulders. "It'll only drag out longer if we stand around here. Let's see what reading material Sally has for her visitors that doesn't include a damned news update." Yuy smiled with a small nod and allowed the Chinese immortal to take the lead towards the nearby waiting room.
*& *& *& *& *& *
Nancy was riding high following her success in the Senate's opening vote to continue to look deeper at the preservation of the human race. But she was also wise enough to not get her hopes set too high or to push her agenda too hard to loose what ground she had taken away from the Vampires.
Swaying the Representatives in agreeing that the Harvests needed to be stopped was going to be next to impossible... even with a secret ballot that had been agreed upon as the only way that the votes involving the Human-Vampire Treaty would be carried out. McAdams gave Treize Khushrenada credit, once again, for his way of connecting and imploring with the Senators to give those immortals who remained without their so-called soul mates a way to survive.
Along with the Councilman's ways of persuasion, there was documented proof of a significant drop off in the number of Harvests needed due to the fewer and fewer Infected in need of them every year. Those things together would most likely result in a landslide victory for Khushrenada and his unholy kind.
The loss of that debate would be disappointing, but it was not the war.
What Nancy was most focused on was the registration process. That was taking up all of her attention and time in preparation for those arguments. It would be a long battle, but it was where she was the most optimistic that the silent majority was most interested in changing.
Now with those talks beginning in a matter of weeks, the Senator was working away every waking moment that she had to herself to be ready for when the time came.
Her fingers typing furiously over her keyboard, she jotted down the notes she had been compiling to include in her opening statement that she intended to back by fact to have her peers sway her way. If she was going to have any shot at this, she would have to deliver the speech of her life to walk over whatever Treize was planning to deliver.
Even as she descended the front stairs of the Capitol building, Nancy's head was swirling with her strategy so that a distant voice had to really shout to get through, "Mom!" Nearly tripping off the last step, she gasped with wide eyes as she balanced herself just in time to reach the ground somewhat gracefully.
Looking up in disbelief, the Representative beamed at the pretty young woman running towards her. "Angela," she laughed just before hugging her daughter tightly. "What are you doing here?"
"I wrapped up my internship early so that I could be here in person to watch my mother make history," the lawyer in-in-the-works smiled proudly. Brushing back her sandy-blonde hair that had blown off her shoulders, she giggled, "When I got to the house, I gave Jackson the afternoon off from chauffeuring you so that I could pick you up so that I could surprise you. Hopefully you wouldn't mind having me and a couple others around for the next few weeks."
Jaw falling open, McAdams stammered, "A-all of you are coming to stay with me? Your brother and sister?"
Nodding, Angela's green eyes were possibly shining as she replied, "Yep. We all coordinated our time off around our schedules to be of any help or support that you need."
Suddenly losing her good mood when a small crowd of passersby began to crowd them, the scholar took hold of Nancy's arm to lead the way for the parking lot. Leaning close, she muttered softly, "Of course none of us could get into why we wanted to be here... and we did not have to since so many people are following the news and everyone that we know is aware of the fact that you're our mother."
The Representative frowned deeply at that. "Are your friends or employers giving you a hard time for being related to me and the fight against those filthy Infected?" she demanded in a hushed hiss.
Her daughter insisted, "No... at least not on my end. Most people keep their opinions to themselves." With a shrug, she admitted, "Although I can tell that most of the people I spend time with watch what they say around me. It's nothing that we're not used to since the majority out there has fallen in love with the Vampires."
Nancy sighed deeply. The path she was leading her children down was not the easy one to travel. But she had also raised her little ones to hold their heads high as they continued through life. They could certainly hold their own... though as a mother it was hard to not wonder if maybe there was another way.
Mentally shaking herself at that, the Senator reminded herself that she was plowing that new way. She would be the one to enlighten the blind so that they may see the course that God wanted them to take together... his livings and precious creations.
Squeezing onto her eldest's hand, McAdams smirked, "They will all see soon enough, sweetheart. Now, please do tell me everything there is to fill me in on your internship."
*& *& *& *& *& *
"Huh. Very curious," Sally commented softly as she ran a finger over the cold patch of skin over Anna's flat abdomen where three tiny freckles of close proximity made a tiny triangle. Three little dots for the three points of entry for the three shots of fertility drugs. "Strange how these marks are not perfectly healing over. Though, I suppose that it is natural considering how your only working organs are just beneath the surface."
Frowning, the doctor raised her head towards her elevated patient with a tilt of her own head so that they were at the same eye level. "They are not causing you any pain, are they?" she inquired.
Anna shook her head, "Nope. The shots themselves are unpleasant when I medicate myself, but that passes in a couple minutes and there is nothing left as far as direct discomfort." Her head partially lifted upside down, her smile felt funny when it came on. "I really don't mind the marks at all," she stated. "If this procedure works, they'll be nice little mementos of my niece or nephew that'll stay with me."
Po grinned back, never having doubted that her friend would react any differently to the spots. After all, the much darker freckles that peppered her skin in pairs from the bite marks that she had received in taking out the poisonous Vampire who had attacked her before her turning were only seen as trophies of their last meeting before she removed him from existence.
It was a welcomed change to have a pleasant memory tied to the new series of lighter dots.
Lowering the medical robe over the Infected, Sally shrugged, "Well, I see no reason for concern. Everything from what I could tell is functioning as it should."
At the chime of the time, she took hold of the remote that was waiting on her long table at the other side of the room. Holding a large button in, the physician brought the long chair to straighten and lower to its upright sitting position again as she said, "So, fingers crossed and try to not stress yourself these next couple of weeks waiting to see if this first attempt took."
"Right," Anna snorted while lowering her legs from the stirrups. Rising to her feet, she changed back into her clothes in a blur and murmured, "The more you want something, the harder you try make it to happen. And it's not like there isn't already enough on my mind to begin with thanks to that Senator McAdams and her followers."
The Companion smiled sadly and patted her favorite nurse on the back. "This too shall pass, dear," she offered softly. "If there is anything I have learned from Victor, you and your family, it is how super resilient Vampires are to any other creature in the world." Winking, she added, "And I do not mean that only by a medical standpoint. Besides, I will always remain a firm believer that good will win out in the end. It always finds a way."
Perhaps that, over any other calming sentiments she had heard over the last couple of weeks especially, was the one to brighten the Siren's spirits. She held tight to that one, being a faithful believer of the same.
Bowing her head, Anna replied sincerely in a near whisper, "Thanks, Sal." A light returned to her gold-ringed eyes for the first time when she smiled her first real smile of the day. "I appreciate that."
In expecting the hug that would have normally followed, Po snickered and opened her arms as she stepped up to the Infected who recoiled back a couple of paces at the approach. "Uh sorry," the redhead giggled nervously. Clearing her throat, she wrapped the ends of her hair around a finger as she explained, "After what you just did to me down there, that would just... be weird at the moment." Beaming, she suggested, "But this works..." A hand was held out.
Her head falling back with her loud laughter, Sally fought out through the bursts, "That... that would be fine, Anna." Regaining her composure before her patient could feel any more embarrassment, she held took hold of the cool hand for a firm shake exchanged between them. "Good luck, sweetie. I'll be around in three weeks time to run a blood test. In the meantime, you get to enjoy not having to inject yourself until I have the results of that back."
Breathing an inaudible sigh of relief at that, the Irish Infected nodded and headed out of the room. No sooner had she pulled the door open did her family materialize in the hallway, each handsome Vampire wearing a worried expression. "All set," came the cheerful announcement as she moved to hook arms with her chuckling husband. Wufei turned his head close to kiss her temple before they moved for the clinic's front doors.
Grateful to have the sister's lead in not becoming consumed with what may or may not come to be, Heero and Duo shared a private smile and followed close behind. But when her little brother walked close enough beside her, Anna could not help asking quietly, "How are you holding up, darling?"
Duo smirked, "Just fine. Can't complain too much, really... even if the whole experience was on the awkward side."
"You think what you went through was bad?" the redhead laughed. "Try knowing that you just had a few of your sister's eggs inserted and they're now floating around in you." Instantly getting the analogy, the braided Companion laughed as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed her cheek.
"Alright," Maxwell conceded. "You win, sis."
TBC...
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