The beautiful people, the beautiful people
It's all relative to the size of your steeple
You can't see the forest for the trees
You can't smell your own shit on your knees
-Lyrics to 'The Beautiful People' performed by Marilyn Manson
Crimson Bonds Part 35
Septum entered the stretch of holding cells hidden within his laboratory with a flourish in his step and spin around as he took in his latest collections.
"My, my, my," he smiled widely, "two honored guests for the price of one." Waving a finger to the glaring Hybrid at his right, he smirked, "I'll be with you in a second, since I have been expecting you for some time now."
At that, Duo frowned deeply while the man wearing the white lab coat turned his back to him. Up until that moment, he had no way of knowing the reason behind his and Anna's capture. Solo and Celeste had not spoken more than a couple of words, the only ones coming from the Companion of the two.
Now that he had the confirmation that he was the primary target of the attack at his home, Maxwell's throat tightened with worry for his sister and baby who had been unknowing victims caught in the crossfire. If that Hunter hadn't been looking for him... she would have never known about the kids.
Bowing at the waist to the redhead glaring at him from where she stood on the other side of the glass between them, Millers greeted, "Anna Yuy-Chang. This is a real treat for me as I have been a fan of yours and Wufei's for a long time now. Ever since I first read of your story in news archives, I have been quite interested in meeting you." He opened his arms out, smirking, "And here you are. All mine."
The corner of her mouth flinching in a snarl, the Siren trained it back to not give off any reaction in her expression. "I don't belong to anyone but my husband," she replied in a deadpan that despite its lack of emotion commanded respect. "And who the hell are you?"
Snickering as he righted himself, the scientist appraised Solo and clicked his tongue the way a parent would when taunting a child. "You have had a few hours alone with your family and you didn't bothered to tell them about me, Pet? And here I thought that I taught you better manners than that."
It was that word, 'Pet,' and the way that their captor said it when addressing their brother that sent chills down Duo and Anna's spines. And if that was not enough to worry them, the shudder that wracked the blonde Hybrid's whole body when the man slipped a hand into his lab coat pocket did.
Suddenly faced with pieces of the puzzle to their abduction that were beginning to fit into place from the few clues shown to them, their situation was looking more and more bleak by the second.
Removing his hand that had only grazed over the top of the remote, the dark-haired living laughed, "I'll give you a reprieve this time. After all, it must just be the shock of having your brother back in your presence that must have made you forget how to be gracious."
Arms opening once more as he turned back towards his unsuspecting guests and enthusiastically introduced, "I'm Septum Millers. Neither of you would have heard of me, but my Pet is quite familiar with my late great, by several times over, uncle. Back then, he was known as Instructor H."
Their eyes widening with sharp gasps, the Yuy's jaws fell open as their skin paled. All unwanted reactions, but there was nothing that they could do to prevent them in the wake of that shocking announcement. Having both heard the Instructor's recordings, they were more than aware of the man behind the research that made Solo into the monster he was believed to be.
"Oh, you know of him," Millers beamed with a sharp clap of his hands. "Wonderful! You can consider what I am doing here to be the continuation of his legacy and then some. Not only do I have the original half-breed that had killed him, I have both of the rarest creatures to walk the earth."
Checking his watch, he put on a pout and frowned, "Well, I look forward to becoming more acquainted with you both, but I'm afraid I am quite busy this day. I have a large team of people that need to be aware there is no need for a hunt for the only other Hybrid any longer." He waved his hand, promising, "But you will be seeing a lot more of me soon enough."
As he began to circle himself around again, he stopped himself when he came face-to-face with the Irish Vampire again.
"I do have one burning question that has been with me since I first read about you, my dear," he grinned. Not giving her a chance to respond, his features took on an unfriendly expression as he asked, "Was Wufei really worth your sitting alone in a cold, dark cell for ten years?"
Physically snapping back as though he himself had been struck by the harsh verbal attack on his siblings' relationship, Duo had to bite down on his tongue to keep from speaking up. How his sister had managed to keep herself restrained from so much as a blink was a marvel to him...
However, this was also the Anna that scared him... Not the Anna that was in the middle of literally pummeling a Rogue to little more than dust.
She was not the one who frightened Maxwell. But this Anna did- the silent, calculating one that was now present as she stared Septum down. Her prey could not read the terrible things that she was working out behind her calm, gold-and-blue eyes the way that the braided Hybrid could.
There were two things that one never challenged or endangered if they didn't want to know this Anna... one was her family and the other was the love between her and Wufei.
Septum had attacked both. The first offense was when he sent his Hunter to their home, harming Ian in the process. Now he just snapped the last the last proverbial straw by slighting that which she held especially dear.
Were he able to understand what the Siren was plotting out for him if she ever had the opportunity, Millers would not have been laughing as he was. He was standing in his own grave but didn't see it... he couldn't see how deep or smell how rank the shit that he that he had created around himself was.
Rolling her shoulders back, Anna's eyes gave the hint of a glare as she bore down into the gaze watching her. "He was worth every... damned... second," she growled lowly, drawing out the words so that there was no mistaking them or her certainty in the sentiment.
"Excellent!" the scientist cheered through his outbursts. Sobering, he smirked, "You're going to need that spirit during your stay with me." With a raised eyebrow, he snickered, "Although out of everyone here, I figure you to be the most at home with a collar around your neck and four walls closing you in."
That was about all Duo could stand to hear.
His face reddening with rage, his clenched fists shook at his sides before the tremors moved up his whole body. The only thing keeping him from breaking any of his limbs in attempt to break the glass that he had already tested was how Anna remained reserved and physically unaffected by the slights made at her expense.
Somewhere in the back of her mind, his sister held onto a trust that she would have her shot at their abductor. She was just biding her time until then. And Maxwell knew that he was going to have to practice the same for his own sanity.
Rubbing his hands together, Septum grinned, "Well, I best be off. Looking forward to prying out all of your little secrets, my Pets." Half-dancing in his steps away, he whistled a chillingly lighthearted tune that resonated off the walls until he disappeared at the closing of the doors behind him as he moved into the main lab.
As soon as the walking dead man was away, Anna's stoic appearance fell away into one of deep concern while she peered over to the Hybrid linked to her cell. "Solo..." she whispered, "are you okay, little brother?"
Firing daggers at her when he raised his head, the blonde gritted out, "I. Am. Not. Your. Brother. And why the hell are you asking me about how I am? It's not like you actually give a shit." He stormed over to his bed where he sat himself with his back to everyone as he folded his arms across his chest.
Duo was opening his mouth to yell at Solo when the redheaded Infected raised a hand to stop them. Shaking her head, she mouthed to them, "Don't push him."
Grunting in disgust at not getting a shot in, hating that he once again failed to defend his sister, Maxwell stomped his way over to his bed where he laid onto his side and pulled the thin blanket over his head. He forced himself to drift off, silently hoping that he was only living in a nightmare... one that he would wake up from next to Heero in the comfort of home.
It was at that moment that Celeste decided she was going to like Anna very much. If Duo hadn't moved to speak up against her lover, she was not going to be far behind in doing so herself. But somehow the Irish Infected had enough care for Solo to look out for him... even when he had done nothing to deserve her compassion.
Of course, the Hispanic Companion knew the reason for her Hybrid's outburst. There may have been resentment over the opposing sides that they had initially taken in the war between them... but he was more embarrassed at having been caught cowering before Septum. And he was still a proud being trying to save face.
The young women's eyes locked for a moment and they exchanged small, private smiles at the silent pact that they made.
No one knew the brothers better than they did, meaning that they also were well aware of their stubbornness. Until the burnt bridges between them were mended, Anna and Celeste would have to help them through their ordeal while also watching each other's backs.
"So," the redhead smiled as she lowered herself to sit on her floor. "Why don't you tell me some things about yourself, sister?"
Completely taken aback by the endearment, Celeste sputtered a few non-coherent sounds in her effort to fine something to actually say. The Siren commented, "There's no mistaking the glow of a Companion that you have. And since there is only one being here that you could possibly be tied to, it was pretty obvious for me to make the deduction."
From his distant corner, Solo only briefly glanced over his shoulder to stare at the Infected curiously. But that brief glimmer of interest passed and he went back to glowering ahead of himself.
Not paying him any mind in her plan to give him the space that he needed, Anna remained focused on his lover as she smiled, "So, since you're tied to my little brother, that would make us sisters. And while we work out how to get out of this place while the rest of our family sort out how to finds us, I think it'd be nice if we took the time to get better acquainted."
A family. Yes, Celeste had that in Solo, but until sitting with members of their extended bloodline Celeste did not realize how badly she had desperately longed for the company and support of others as well. And yet here was a Vampire who only knew her as a Wild in their past encounters who had openly taken her in as one of their own. It was staggering how badly she wanted this... needed it.
With a stray tear rolling down her cheek, the Companion sat in the corner closest to her sister and grinned in little more that a breathed, "I-I'd really like that, Anna."
* * * * * *
From the moment Ian was brought home, Fiona had latched herself onto him. Even almost an hour into his return, his sweet little twin was huddle close to him with her arms wrapped tight around one of his own as they cried silently together.
Throughout the Changs' room, the children were spread out and in tearful dazes at now knowing that their Mom and Uncle Duo had been taken from them. No matter how badly he wanted to protect them from the news, Wufei would never have been able to exist with himself if he was dishonest with them after using his mind reading skills to see what Ian had seen during the attack.
One of the last things that his son was able to pick up on before he had run too far off was a shadowy figure stepping out towards the Hunter standing over Duo and Anna's prone bodies. There were no tracks to suggest that they had been drug... only that they vanished.
But not even the power to See whoever whenever wherever they were had failed the scaly Mimic in finding his wife and brother. Not only had they disappeared, it was as though they had been completely removed from the world.
Having been called upon, Treize and his family immediately arrived to their friends' homes to offer any help they could.
Surrounded by sniffles and soft sobs, Relena stood in the living room doorway. Biting her lip when she heard her sister and cousin approaching, she moved out into the hallway to intercept them and frowned deeply, "The poor things. We should see them to bed, but I don't see how they're going to be able to sleep tonight with what's happened."
Noin nodded, "I have a few of Anna's spelled lullabies in my head that I can put into theirs to help them rest. Normally I don't like using my mind reading ability to trick anyone like that... but these aren't exactly normal circumstances. Their comfort comes first. Especially now."
Able to find a bit of relief in that, Peacecraft nodded shallowly. Swallowing roughly, she asked, "How are the others? Heero? Wufei?"
"They are holding up as well as one would expect, given the situation," Lady Une replied sadly. "Two of the most important creatures in their existences are missing and there is a baby to only complicate the matter. So, they're struggling along the best they can."
Shoulders drooping, Relena sighed, "Well, we'll take them through one step at a time. Starting with taking care of the children since they have enough to worry about at the moment." That decided, the Councilwomen headed for the living room together.
Back in the enclosed patio, the remaining members of the Barton-Yuy Clan were sitting at the round table with an empty chair at Heero and Wufei's right sides.
The Japanese Original was drained of not only the color of his skin but the light that Duo and Anna had put in his eyes as he stared off into nothing. Across from him, the scaly Infected was slumped forward with his face buried in his hands. Meanwhile, Trowa had a firm hand clasped to Yuy's shoulder as Midi rubbed Chang's back.
Pacing around them, Treize and Zechs were conducting themselves as they would when handling any Preventer case. It was the only way they could keep themselves from being caught up in their own emotions.
"Okay, we start off with what we know," Khushrenada announced in a clear, commanding voice as he lifted his head.
Continuing to circle the table with his hands folded behind his back, he opened, "We know that a Hunter was perfectly aware of who was existing here and that Duo was her primary target." Shaking his head, he murmured, "Ian was just in the wrong place at the wrong time to be used as a means to getting what she wanted."
Merquise followed exactly half the distance around the table behind his cousin, adding from there, "Anna came rushing in to help, but the Hunter had no idea that she had the ability to use song to lure Duo in so easily. So, the living is not so clued into the going-on's here that she is totally up to snuff on what she's up against."
With a deep frown, Khushrenada stated, "Which still wasn't enough to keep her from taking what she came for with the addition of a Vampire who can conceive children." Shaking his head, he focused back on the outline as he said, "After Ian intervenes, our Hunter and accomplice somehow manage to literally disappear."
"And that can only be explained by our having to assume that the second party responsible for the assault is a Transporter," Zechs commented flatly, as he would when coming up with any report. "Since the only creatures that can have such powers are Vampires, somehow there must be an arrangement between the living and an Infected..."
Only partially listening in to their fellow Preventers sort out the initial run through of the investigation, Heero and Wufei remained numb to everything.
Whenever they did pay attention, the whole scene was beyond surreal... to have an abduction case layout when the victims were their loved ones when just hours before the whole family was laughing and engaged in an innocent game.
If they were not on the verge of tears, the insanity of it all would have driven Yuy and Chang to mad laughter.
But this search involved their Others- their husband, wife, brother and sister... baby and niece or nephew.
What his cousin had just suggested struck Treize with a profound sense of doubt in the path that they were going down. "Why in the world would a Hunter and a Vampire agree to join forces in any fashion?" he murmured. "It doesn't make sense. We have to be missing something in the whole picture here..."
Pausing in their footsteps, the Head of the Vampire Council and its Speaker took account of their friends at the end of the first assessment. With a deep frown, Treize asked, "Have we missed anything that might be of use for the search? Noin had confirmed Charles' tracking to verify all that he had come up with... but maybe there's a name or even a hair for identification that we can go on?"
His head shaking as it lifted to set his sight on his Commander with reddened eyes, Heero answered, "That's all of it. Noin also backed what Wufei had read in Ian's memories- there was no dialogue exchanged between the attackers to give any hint to who they might be."
Roughly rubbing his own face before he raised it, Chang was every bit as physically stricken while he shrugged, "The biggest mystery about this whole thing is how in the world Relena and I can's use our Seeing ability to find the Hunter. We have been able to locate beings with a lot less than a perfectly clear image of them and yet there is nothing out there on her, Anna or Duo."
Eyes growing, Zechs's back snapped up at a chilling thought. Swallowing roughly, he commented, "We had encountered this problem once before... many years ago, but there was an instance when we had lost people without a single way to trace them... specifically Companions."
No sooner had that suggestion filled the air did the other Vampires in the room freeze in shock. "Solo," Trowa breathed, "His half of his heritage blocks our powers from himself any everyone around him for miles. Not only would that explain the vanishing act, but the involving of a mutant. We could be dealing with a Companion that Duo's brother got to."
Shuddering, Midi responded, "But Solo was killed while saving everyone..." She scanned from one wide-eyed face to the next, muttering, "Wasn't he? And even if he does still exist, why on Earth would he be working with Hunters, of all creatures?"
"Because he's being forced against his will," Yuy realized aloud, a new flicker of life coming over him at having a possible angle to help the investigation. Centering on his scaly brother-in-law, he requested, "Can you put the picture of that second party in our minds again so we can examine it better?"
Without hesitating, Wufei filled their minds with the outline covered by the darkness of the surrounding trees. Slight build. Hair falling just past the shoulders. A feminine air about how they shifted their weight from foot-to-foot anxiously. These were the things that the Infected studied until a vaguely familiar scent came through Ian's memory.
The boy had been close enough to catch the slightest of whiffs from the creature. It had been completely overlooked before when the agents began going over the information. But they smelled it now. And with it came the undeniable identity of the being that they had been in the presence of once in their pasts.
Coming out of the trance, the air in Chang's lungs rushed out as he announced, "Celeste. She was a Wild when she last abducted Duo, but she's clearly changed since then. If she's still alive, then it only stands to reason that Solo is as well and she's with him."
"Under unpleasant circumstances as you had said, cousin," Barton nodded, speaking to Heero. "We all could see how hesitant she was to help that Hunter. She didn't exactly jump the first time she was ordered over. We could be looking at an entire community of people that are holding them... much like what we discovered in Antarctica where Solo had originally been held during and after his birth."
Zechs chewed on the inside of his cheek and threw in, "Only now we have absolutely no idea how in the hell to find them. It's a pretty big world out there." He smiled, "But at least we have a very solid idea as to what we're likely dealing with. First thing I'll work on is spreading the word to every agent out there of what's happened so that we can find Duo and Anna-"
In a ghost of his voice, Wufei cut him off with a soft, "Nine months."
To the confused faces turning towards him, the scaly Infected was anything but reassured as he appeared even more worried than he had been when the whole situation had begun. Unlike everyone else around him who had been rejuvenated at their having a solid conclusion to the story around the kidnappings, he looked as though he was about to sink into the floor.
"We have less than nine months to find them... at least as far as Anna's especially concerned," he began to explain. Taking a deep breath, he said, "If this really is what we are up against, that's all the time she has. After that, the people holding her will do the same as the researchers who captured Duo and Solo's mother- Isabel after they were born...."
His voice cracking Chang managed, "They'll kill her."
TBC...
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