All you'll ever be is a fading memory of a bully
Make another joke while they hang another rope, so lonely
Push them to the dirt till the words don't hurt. Can you hear me?
No one's gonna cry on the very day you die... You're a bully
-Lyrics to 'Bully' performed by Shinedown

Crimson Bonds Part 55

It had been another memorable get-together for John and Angela in their favorite diner that had served as their meeting place. Wasting the late evening hours away talking about everything and nothing, the pair laughed as they exchanged stories, their dreams along with some of their most private of thoughts.

They made the picturesque image of a couple that had known they were soul mates all their young lives to the other patrons who could not help but peer over at them for a glimpse of what true love looked like.

At her first yawn when the time caught up with her, the law student had to begrudgingly agree to her boyfriend's suggestion that she return back to her dorm for the rest of the evening. Arm-in-arm, they slipped from the diner and walked the streets back to the college campus a mile away.

For the duration of their stroll, the bonded pair continued on with their conversations while trying to not remember that they were about to be separated again. And like every time before, they found themselves at the bottom of Angela's dorm facility's front steps.

Sighing deeply, the striking blonde physically drooped along with her mood when she hugged her coat around herself with her free hand. "Do you really have to go?" she all but whispered as she turned to face her intended. Biting her lip, she gave into the urges that she had been holding back to comment nervously, "It would be pretty easy to sneak you up and into my room for the night."

His blue eyes widening, John's back straightened rigidly. "W-well, I.... uh..." he stammered, continuing on a string other unintelligible sounds and words. In the back of his mind, he remembered his Dad's telling of how badly he wanted to be with his Mom from the moment they had first met. Of course it had been the same for him with his own Chosen, but actually having the possibility offered...

"Pleeeaase," Angela begged, a coy smile and a wicked glint in her eyes that was captured by the porch lamp.

This was such an out of character thing to be hinting to what she was hinting to, she knew that. And yet, there was nothing stopping her once she had started. If anything, she only wanted to have what she was promising all the more. "I promise that you'll be home before anyone in your family knows you were away for so long."

What the Vampire wouldn't have given to take her right then and there, but he desperately grasped onto what control over his urges he had to gently rest his hands on her shoulders, urging, "Angela, I... I would love to... more than you could possibly know but-"

'But what?' he asked himself. They were destined to be together the rest of their existences. What harm was there in giving into the temptation of being as intimate with her as he could?

When there was not an immediate completion to what he was starting to say, the law student made up his mind for him by stretching up onto her toes and claiming his lips in a passionate kiss.

Any reservations that were holding John back up to that second evaporated as he pulled his Other close to return the exchange seconds before his cool hand was tugged on, leading him through the dormitory's entrance.

*   *   *   *   *   *

Ending his shift for the remainder of the day, Broderick had bid his friends a private farewell until the next morning and took his leave. Along the catwalks on his way to the cafeteria, he had been so lost in his thoughts of how he was going to pull off an escape for himself and the prisoners that he hadn't paid mind to which path he was taking for the cafeteria...

...until it was too late.

"Well, there you are," a voice greeted in a purr behind him.

Freezing, Dawson fought the urge to throw his head back in frustration. With a curse under his breath, he squeezed eyes closed as the woman he had been so successful in evading descended upon him. By the time Lucie rounded him, he managed to slip into his disinterested mask.

Aisley smirked, "And here I was beginning to think that you were avoiding me all this time. My feelings were getting hurt." Holding back the snort that would have given away how right she was, Broderick's own feelings were wearing thin over having to keep up such a reserved act.

Head tilting, Aisley asked, "Good timing on my part to stumble on you heading for dinner the same time I am. I think that it's about time we had a serious discussion about us."

"Us?" the tall Hunter frowned deeply with a half-groan. "What on earth are you talking about?"

Tired of the cat-and-mouse game that had long run its course for her, Lucie decided to get right to the point of what should have been so blazingly obvious to her counterpart.

Shaking her head, she replied, "I mean how perfect you and I would be together!" Exasperated, she threw her arms in the air, practically shouting, "I know you see that, but you're just being so damned stubborn to just get on with it! We're two beautiful, talented people who only naturally fit. Imagine all of the damage we could do in the world by joining forces."

Broderick had been perpetually backed into a wall. And now that everything was coming out into the open, there really was no reason for facades anymore. Best to nip his little irritation in the bud and have her move on. "To be honest, I'm surprised that I was at all on your radar for a hookup," he stated, eyes narrowing as his mask slipped away.

Aisley reeled back a bit at that with a frown of her own, inquiring, "My radar? I don't understand what you mean."

Shrugging, the handsome young man answered, "Word gets around this place to build up reputations fast, Lucie. Everyone knows how you like to scale the ladder in bed for financial or power gains. I'm at your level when you usually go for guys with thicker wallets and higher positions. I just figured you'd be going after the Boss by now."

Her shoulders slumping, eyes growing and lower jaw falling, the blonde made a few squeaks and squawks before she gathered her rage enough to clench her teeth. Porcelain skin reddening, she shrieked, "H-how dare you!? And here I thought I was making my intent clear that I've wanted you all this time!"

"Oh, I've been onto that," Dawson reassured, staring coldly back at her. "But you weren't exactly too good at picking up on my own clues that I wasn't interested. I tried to be nice about it, but you're not leaving me much of a choice now."

Beside herself, Lucie insisted, "You were just playing hard to get..." 'Wasn't he?' she actually questioned herself, the first bit of doubt setting in. Glaring heatedly, she cried, "Every man wants me and what I can offer them!"

Arms folding across his chest, Broderick responded calmly, "I never did and never will. I know what a catch you think you are. Yes, on the surface there are not many other women who have the same physical beauty you have, but I know enough of what's beneath to realize that you are easily the ugliest person I've ever met."

The air rushing from her lungs at that insult, Aisley's shoulders slumped once again as she stared in wide-eyed disbelief at her fellow Hunter. There was nothing she could possibly say or do aside from let out a small whimper of surprise.

However, no one got the better of her for long. As quickly as she had been stricken, the shock wore off into an unbridled rage. "Get. Out. Of. My. Face," the blonde warned through her teeth. "You had your shot. And you'll regret not taking me up on it."

Only too happy to comply to her request, Dawson bowed his head and walked past her.

Much as he wanted to make an argument against her remark, he decided to be the bigger person and allow Lucie her space to deal with his rejection. He had said what needed to be said. At least it meant he wasn't going to have to walk on eggshells with her anymore.

All in all, he was going to breathe a lot easier now that he had taken care of his biggest pains in the side that were Aisley and Barnett.

*   *   *   *   *   *

Hours later...

Anna giggled as she ran a hand over her shifting belly. "I'm gonna get you," she smiled, 'chasing' the shifting babies just below the dress she wore and her skin. "I'm gonna get you. Ha!" Only briefly brushing over a heel, ankle, elbow or head, she snickered in amusement at the gentle push back.

There was no real sense of the time of the evening, the only hint being that there were not enough people on duty to check in on the prisoners. By that, it must have been quite late as the skeleton night crew was on.

Curled up in their beds, Duo and Celeste were sleeping soundly across the holding room. Solo was sitting up on his own cot as he watched the redhead enjoy her little game of 'tag.' Occasionally, his violet-and-silver eyes would shift over to watch his twin's back that was facing them.

Peering up to follow his gaze, Anna chewed on the inside of her cheek in deep thought. "Duo seemed to handle the last few days of treatments well," she murmured. "I was worried to death about him until he came walking in like nothing had happened."

"Shocked the shit out of me," Solo snorted. "I don't know how the tables turned on us, except for that weird blackout of his."

The redhead sat up on top of her bed, frowning in concern, "Blackout? He lost consciousness?"

In a near rush, the Hybrid answered, "Maybe that wasn't the best way to put it. There was a time from our being taken out of the tanks to our wait in the recovery room where it was like he wasn't... there. He wasn't responding to my calling for him until after a few tries." Focusing back on his twin, he shrugged, "He just had this blank stare until he came to. Once he did, he was every bit as surprised as I was that he was so well off."

Anna's eyes grew with realization at that. "So he seemed like a completely different person until then? Maybe that's why he wasn't responding?" she asked.

Snapping his head to meet her blue-and-gold eyes, Solo huffed, "You think that his so-called alter ego took over? That Shinagoomi, or whatever?"

With a mild glare, the Vampire corrected, "Shinigami. And I promise you he's real." Easing a bit, she took in her braided brother across the walkway as she muttered, "But he normally doesn't show unless Duo calls on him." She paused for a moment before adding, "Which is why he shouldn't have been surprised when he woke up. I wonder-"

Cut off by the sound of the entrance doors sliding open, she spun to blink her enlarged eyes at the sight of the last Hunter she wanted to see staling into the room. Instantly alert at the smug living that had a knack for putting even him on edge, Solo rose to his feet as his fangs grew in.

Their sleep broken, the Companions on the other side of the holding area came alert to find Mark Barnett in their midst.

Under normal circumstances, that alone would have been enough to raise their tensions, but it was the way the living walked purposely towards Anna's cell that made them all but jump to their feet and rush for the long glass walls blocking them from stopping him.

"I thought that your boss sent you away," Celeste taunted, a dangerous curl to her lips as she and her fellow prisoners remained trained on their unwanted guest.

Barnett had his own attention set upon his prey as he snorted, "Nobody bosses me around, sweetheart. I suggest you keep quiet if you don't want what the little blood-sucker has in store." Her mouth opening to speak up, the Infected was suddenly flooded with pain from the activated collar around her neck.

Crying out, Anna crumbled to the floor to the screams and cries of her family looking on.

Mark kept hold of the remote in his left hand as he punched in a code that made the walls of her prison mist over to completely conceal everything inside. A door large enough for him to enter appeared and vanished as soon as he rushed through so that the cell was blocked off in every way.

Over his shouts, Duo heard an audible crack at the instant that his mind literally snapped for Shinigami to kick in. Violently pounding at his own prison walls, the braided Hybrid's alter ego howled with rage and blood lust. But no matter how hard he hit, there was no give in the glass holding him back.

Fearful as she was for her sister and whatever was happening beyond the clouded cell, Celeste shrieked in terror at the sight that her fellow Companion was making. After a few hard strikes, blood was beginning to appear on his knuckles to run down the transparent blockade he was trying to desperately to break through.

Everything from the animal growls to the lightening fast movements were enough for the Latin immortal to know that she was not looking upon her brother. "Shinigami!" she bellowed. "Stop! You're hurting yourself!"

Anna's world was spinning after she had been hauled onto her feet and pressed face first against the wall beside her bed. "Give me any grief and I up the voltage," Bennett hissed by her ear, his body pressing hard against her backside with one of her arms gripped tightly between them. "I'm only giving enough juice to keep you from using your voice to tempt me into doing something I don't want."

Oh, that he had accomplished, the frantic Vampire was aware. The constant pulse coursing through the collar preventer her from being able to swallow, let alone make any sound. More than anything, she was most concerned for the babies she was carrying. What pain she was enduring wouldn't harm them... but if she was put through anything more intense...

Tears welling up in her eyes, the redhead was able to let out pained whimper as she nodded her compliance.

Her eyelids squeezed closed tight at the sound of her captor's belt buckle being undone while she got another hard shove against the wall just for further proof of who was in charge. Mentally shutting out the world, she tried to go somewhere far away so that she didn't have to endure what was about to happen at the same time the hem of her maternity dress was lifted.

"Aw yea," Barnette hummed, his tongue licking his bottom lip. "You look great from the backside. This'll work out fine. I'm already hard. Of course, I'll be imagining you're not a disgusting Infected"

On the other side of the fogged separating cell wall, Solo was punching away. Close enough to hear what was taking place, the infuriated Hybrid hollered, "Get... the... Hell... away... from... my SISTER!" Still, the commotion flooding the holding room reached deafening levels as the captives made every effort they could to free themselves and help Anna.

Mark was working off his jeans when the shrill, pulsing alarms rang through the space. Snickering, he leaned up against the trembling Vampire to tell her, "Looks like someone on the night staff finally checked the cameras. There's no one close enough to get to us before I'm finished with you."

Not wanting to waste anymore time, he freed both hands and pulled his boxers down in a rush. Apt and experienced in this, he tore away Anna's underwear to descend upon her.

Against her efforts to try and fend off the reality around her, the redhead let out a sob when that weight settled on her once more in an upward thrust meant to penetrate.

But in the next second, that force was gone in a sudden tug away from her that came with hands gripping her dress hard to pull on it along with her attacker as a familiar voice screamed, "You son of a bitch!"

Clinging onto what she could of the garment that had been torn and tattered to cover herself, Anna spun around to the sight of wet crimson when Broderick's fist connected with Mark's face. As he continuously lay a barrage of punches and kicks, the taller Hunter smashed the remote that had been dropped by the assailant in one stomp from his foot.

Instantly feeling the pain that had wracked her fade away, the Irish immortal scrambled onto her bed and pulled the covers against her nearly exposed front side. Unable to blink her damp widened eyes, she bit her lip as she watched the brutal fight that Dawson easily dominated.

The loud snap of bone compiled by the blood seeping from cuts that were open only added to made Bennett's crumpled form all the more pathetic. Hugging his legs to his chest, the would-be-rapist shouted through swollen lips, "Stomp! I canm move!"

Dawson delivered one last swift kick to the side of the cowering little boy that he always knew him to be. And when he looked over to check on his charge, his blind anger almost boiled over again. Though there was blood covering the floor, the Vampire made no move to drink even in her deprived state due to the shock that was setting in.

"Anna," he whispered, hurrying to her side. Shaking her head, the Infected sobbed as her body shook all the more in her attempt to pull the bedding in her clenched hands as tight to herself as possible. Carefully draping an arm around her shoulders, the Hunter called urgently, "Anna. It's me. You need to try and calm yourself for the babies."

That mention of the little ones was enough to break through the Infected's panicked mind. Blinking so that the world could refocus for her, she raised her head towards her rescuer. Still worried about how bad off she appeared, the living didn't hesitate to hold out his wrist to her with an insistent, "Drink."

Sniffling, Anna pressed her lips tightly together. "Nnn nnn," she hummed in argument, already feeling her fangs wanting to snap into place.

"I trust you," Dawson told her. "You'll be able to control yourself and not drain me. Right now, you need your strength to get yourself together." All but pressing his wrist against her mouth, he braced himself when he saw the reluctant agreement set into his friend. In a flash, her sharp teeth set in and broke through his skin.

There was no time to register the actual bite. All that flooded Broderick was the unexpected wave of pleasure that came from the intake of his blood. Never before had he imagined the pleasant sensation when it came to a Vampire drinking. But then, no Hunter had ever offered themselves in such a way.

It was considered sacrilege amongst his kind to allow the enemy the chance to taste them.

After a few small sips, Anna physically pulled her head back as she shuddered from the strain to do so. Wrapping the stunned living's wrist with a torn bit of her dress, she sighed in relief at being able to stop herself. To the bewildered gaze that settled back on her, she smiled sincerely, "Thank you."

No reaction came before the clouded walls became translucent again in the next heartbeat. On the other side of the door that had been left open, a half dozen guards were gathered and they gaped in shock at the sight that greeted them.

Collecting himself, Broderick glared at Barnett's unconscious body as he ordered harshly, "Get that piece of shit out of here. Now."

"You heard him," came a very low growl from the back of the lot. Parting for the new arrival, the team's surprise renewed at the appearance of a most perturbed Septum.

His hair haphazard after being woken moments before, the scientist stepped towards the cell to set his narrowed eyes upon the slumped, bloodied body. "And tell Doctor Berg to take his time treating him when he arrives at the medical ward," he added.

Nodding to his best Hunter, Millers praised quietly, "Nicely done, Broderick. I'll put down the divider between Anna and Solo's cell so that he can continue to help her until Doctor Gloria is ready to see her. In the meantime, you should get cleaned up and try to rest for the remainder of the evening. I'll take care of Mark from here."

Though he wanted to stay and see his charge through her care, Dawson was not about to risk his cover.

Rising to his feet, he made his way through the opening. Along his way out and onto the walkway, he noted Duo and Celeste standing as close to their sister's cells as they could get. Clearly distraught, the braided Hybrid looked the worst for wear between his frayed hair and bleeding hands.

Once the doorway was sealed off again, Septum typed in another series of numbers into the invisible keypad. Solo reached out to feel that the wall between him and Anna had disappeared. Hurrying to curl up beside her on her bed, he wrapped her up in his arms and pulled her up against his chest where she melted into him.

Waving Broderick off, Septum ran a hand over his head with a deep sigh as he appraised the walls and the floors of the cells at either side of him that had been reddened with blood. "What a mess," he muttered under his breath.

Already, his mind was at work as to where to begin cleaning up.

TBC...

 

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