Treasures in the jars of clay
Let the light shine out of darkness
Falling down, but not destroyed
It's just another trial by fire
-Lyrics to 'Trial By Fire' performed by Journey

Crimson Bonds Part 92

The doors to the Senate's meeting atrium were closed as the last arrivals filtered into their seats. Mutters from quiet conversations between the representatives and friends gathered filled the air that was thick with tension.

Senator Jessica Gilbert, a young and lovely brunette of slight form, was careful not to exchange too many words with her colleagues as this was to be her first time sitting in the World Senate following her election as Eric Dobson's replacement. The burly man's well-publicized suicide had come as a shock and blow to everyone in the World Council. And answers explaining why he had taken his own life had been squashed in the wake of the appeal and the investigation was still ongoing.

High in the overlooking balconies for the public audience, Quatre was chewing on the inside of his cheek nervously. Well aware of what was about to unfold, he silently said a prayer that his advice of full disclosure panned out as he'd hoped it would. Eyeing the crowd around him that was a mix of reporters, Companions and livings, he silently mused how life for all as they knew it was about to change drastically for all of them in mere minutes.

As for the Vampire Council, they took their seats while exchanging friendly glances and smiles amongst themselves. Nods of encouragement were given to Khushrenada as he mentally readied himself for what would be the most important speech of his existence. Feeling the weight of his kind on his shoulders, he could only manage small grins back in appreciation for the continued support of his peers.

Nancy McAdams was already sitting with her legs and arms crossed in her relaxed poise to strike. She had everything working in her favor, more so in this appeal process than she had in the initial hearing of her proposed Vampire regulation laws.

There would be no close call in the vote this time. No influence from dirty representatives would be needed this time around. She was going to walk away with a landslide of a victory and then some when the ballots were counted.

Frowning deeply at the vibrating pulses from her purse, she bent down to retrieve it and removed her cell phone. Quickly turning the monitor on, she was shocked to find a text from Angela. The simple message read 'I love you, Mom.'

It was the first extension of contact between mother or daughter since the intern had declared her bonded tie to a Vampire and walked away. They had been in each other's presence for over twenty-four hours and neither one knew how to bridge the gap that had split them apart.

And now, on the day that McAdams was to deliver a permanent, devastating blow to the Infected, Angela extended an olive branch to make it known that she wanted her Mom in her life despite their differences.

'She's dead to us,' Cynthia's voice continued to plague the Senator. Words and a lesson she had taught her children from the moment they were able to understand it. Her hand shaking, she lowered her phone back into her purse and put on her best stoic mask just in time to watch the Moderator take the podium at center stage.

Clearing his throat to catch the initial attention of his fellow representatives, Jackson made his opening announcement loudly for those still talking amongst themselves. "This Senate is now in session! Please take your seats and we will get right to the business of this appeal!" In the overhead stands, he could see those few members of the press that had been granted access frantically preparing their voice recorders, pens and notepads while the remaining handful of legislators settled in.

At the hush that settled, a pin drop could be heard.

"You are all aware of Senator Dobson's untimely death," the Moderator began, scanning the surprised faces locked onto him. "Because it is linked to this hearing, I can now reveal that there has been overwhelming, undeniable evidence that he had been influential in the first vote regarding the Vampire registration process by means of blackmailing many of you into passing the new laws that came into effect months ago."

Shocked cries and gasps rang out as nearly every jaw dropped and eye widened in disbelief as some of the livings shot to their feet. Hands raised up in the air, Jackson ordered, "That is enough!" Gulping and shifting uncomfortably in their chairs, his onlookers remained in shock as he informed, "Under normal circumstances, such a discovery would undo the original vote all together. However, due to the new declaration of a pregnant Vampire, Councilman Khushrenada has insisted that the appeal process go on as originally planned."

Turning himself so that he could eye the entire room, he warned, "You are all here to listen and weigh the arguments presented today freely and with open minds as always. Vote as you see fit in securing the peace between livings and Vampires alike. I want nothing tainting this Senate or what we have been sworn in to do. Is everyone clear?"

Voiced affirmatives and nods were the only responses as reality over the matter at hand set in once again. Pens flew over the pages of the reporters spread throughout the balcony... a detail did not go unnoticed by one representative.

Displeased as she was over the fact that the press would have a field day at her expense over the influenced first vote, Nancy had little choice but to bite that bullet. In the end, Dobson's dirty hand would be all but forgotten once she took the podium.

Satisfied that all was well under his watch again, the Moderator nodded firmly to his long-time friend. Councilman Khushrenada, the floor is yours," he declared. At that, he stepped away as all eyes shifted onto the tall Infected rising from his seat.

His shoulders back and head high as always, Treize made his way to the round stage and climbed his way to the stand without even so much as a sheet of paper for notes in his hand. Drawing a deep breath, he cast one last glance to his family and fellow immortal representatives for their smiles of encouragement before he set his attention onto the crowd directly before him.

"Senators, representatives, colleagues, friends," the Original addressed, his arms opening at his sides. "I stand before you lost as to where to begin in this opening argument. Yes, this appeal revolves around the rights of Vampires to go on with our existences without being tracked, our privacy vanquished and our safety threatened by the new laws. However, there is much more related to all of this... so much more that livings do not know about us that will be revealed to you at a full disclosure."

Blinking widely, McAdams's heart seized in her chest and her breath hitched in her throat.

Without looking back, Treize informed, "Since 1921, Lady Une and I have served the world and all its creatures as co-organizers of the Preventers- a secret policing agency of which our own stand as agents to stop any and every Vampire danger to humans by any means necessary... which always means an end in the death of those perpetrators that we have named Rogues."

Even louder reactions rang through the room, but he raised his voice to come through clearly as he pressed on, "In addition, two know Hybrids with the ability to mutate Infected and Companions have been in the world for over a quarter of a century. Along with a pregnant Anna Yuy-Chang, they had been held in the captivity of one living named Septum Millers. The Preventers successfully saved those prisoners while apprehending Millers and his staff of well over two hundred Hunters."

Reeling over the news, the startled representatives continued to yell and move to stand up once more when the equally stunned Moderator got his senses enough to rise to his feet and shoot the audience a warning glare that silenced them.

Completely deflated, Nancy sagged heavily in her seat as she had no choice but to watch her entire case being unraveled before she had a chance to wield it. Though there was that disappointment, her amazement over the Councilman's open book revelations was far more profound. And here she was certain that her challenger would sooner deny whatever she had to say and weigh the odds than take such a trusting approach.

It certainly blew a lot of her personal beliefs to the character of Infected out of the water.

Using the stillness that had returned, Khushrenada looked to his fellow legislators and frowned deeply, "For more than a hundred years, hundreds of cases of Rogues killing and turning livings for their own demented pleasure have been closed thanks to our agents."

He purposely centered on McAdams, stating, "These Rogues are the real monsters who do not want to be found and they will remain in the shadows until they are located and eliminated. Our establishment works and it will continue to work. What has changed is that in going forward, our doors and records are open to the public so that the families of those victims may have the closure of knowing not only what had happened to their lost loved one, but having the confirmation that the creatures responsible have been handled."

Taken aback by the offering, his opponent's face was washed with surprise. And for the majority of the representatives, they seemed to mull over what was being laid out to them.

"I had hinted to a Vampire that had mutated into having the ability to conceive and deliver full-blooded Infected," Treize continued in his speech. "Her name is a famous one amongst both of our kinds... Anna Yuy-Chang."

Mutters rumbled throughout the space at the well-known identity of the Vampire that had caused quite the stir of trouble by turning a mortal when it had been forbidden and punishable by death. Yes, they knew that name very well.

His dear friend in mind and wanting to prevent any false pretenses, the Councilman was quick to inform, "Anna and her husband, Wufei, have been blessed to have ten children over the years ranging from the ages of six to twenty-two. Later, I will be calling upon Anna's physician, Sally Po, for proof that those children were created and delivered the same as any human. More than that, she has successfully acted as a surrogate for her brothers, Heero and Duo Yuy-Maxwell."

To the stunned, captivated expressions on him, he stated, "During the course of this last pregnancy, Anna had been captured and confined in the clutches of a man by the name of Septum Millers. Along with her, the first two known Hybrids-twin brothers born to a living father and a Vampire mother- were also held in his captivity. These Hybrids contain the ability to mutate Infected and Companions to develop unique powers as though they had been turned by second, third and so on lines in Vampire linage."

Overwhelmed by yet another bombshell of information, the Senators reeled physically and verbally until the Moderator stood and quieted them again. Only pushed on all the more, Khushrenada commented, "Up until their abductions, no Preventer agent has engaged themselves in cases where livings are the wrong-doers, even in light of the fact that Hunters are free to roam about in their lifelong goal of getting away with killing every Infected they come across."

Waving his hand in the air, the Councilman smirked bitterly, "But I digress a bit with that sentiment." He gripped the sides of the podium and steered back on to the heart of the matter. "Considering the tremendous danger posed against all beings due to the confinement of those Hybrids, Lady Une and I saw no other way but to have our Preventers search and apprehend Millers as well as everyone working for him."

The Vampire gripped the sides of the podium even harder and shook his head as his frown returned. "What you will all observe in the videos and reports that have been gathered from his hidden base where Millers worked go far beyond any Rogue's atrocities," he said with a shudder, his head shaking. "Once you have all seen and heard the recordings and testimonies from those I will be calling upon, Septum and his associates will be delivered to living authorities to be dealt with by their own."

Nodding firmly to the Moderator, he waited patiently for his old friend to come out of his stupor enough to reach beneath his tall-backed chair for the remote beneath his seat as the lights in the room began to dim. Over the center stage, a large screen of white on either side for easy viewing throughout the atrium was lowered.

"I think we should begin with the footage of some treatments run on the Hybrids," Treize suggested aloud.

*   *   *   *   *   *

Slowly blinking his violet-and-silver eyes open following his long meditation, Duo was first greeted by the sight of his brother sitting across from him on the living room floor.

Letting out a deep breath, the braided half-breed's shoulders drooped as his entire body melted. "I have no idea how the hell you deal with this every day," he murmured, wiping away the sweat from his brow that had built up in his strain to control his darker urges.

"You get used to it in time," Solo smirked folding his arms across his chest. "One of these days you'll be as good at it as I am." Maxwell snorted with a grin and a roll of his eyes as they pushed themselves up and onto their feet.

The room spun a bit for Duo when he righted himself and he swayed on his feet ever so slightly. A hand from his twin shot out to grip his shoulder and steady him in an instinctive reflex. Blinking widely, he turned to his blonde brother and smiled sheepishly, "Thanks."

Pulling his hand back to his side, the older sibling shrugged nonchalantly in yet another act of being indifferent to any displays of affection. Nevertheless, Maxwell was undeterred when he cleared his throat and grinned sincerely, "You know, for what it's worth... I'm glad you're staying."

Solo allowed his surprise to show a bit on his face at that. "Me too," he admitted after a brief consideration over whether or not he was comfortable to let onto that much of how he felt over now belonging to a Clan... to a real family. The corners of his lips curled up ever so slightly before he punched his twin's arm.

They had a lot of catching up to do when it came to building their relationship. But after what they'd already endured together, there was no doubt they'd be able to forge as solid a bond between them as the rest of their loved ones already had for each other.

Laughter down the hallway broke the comfortable quiet between the Hybrids seconds before Solo and Emma Chang ran into the room in search of places to hide. Snickering, their Uncle Duo asked, "Who's 'it' this round?"

"Cai," the pair that had been tied at the hip from their first meeting chimed in as one in the middle of their scoping out the living room.

The redheaded Vampire dove behind the long couch and his muffled voice huffed, "He better not use that sonar power of his to find anyone. That takes all the fun out of looking." From behind the recliner beside him, the newly adopted girl giggled.

With a sigh of relief, Maxwell mumbled under his breath, 'Good thing it's not Mao searching. Nothing in this place would be safe with that little ball of energy knocking everything around." He raised his voice to offer a warm, "Good luck, guys. Stick to the rules of staying in the house. We'll be on the patio with your parents."

Two stifled voices called back, "Okay."

Chuckling, the brothers slipped from the room and headed to the back of the Chang estate where Heero, Trowa, Wufei, Anna, Midi and Celeste were huddled together on and around the long patio glider. In the center of the patio, the three newborns were sleeping soundly in their portable cribs.

Perched in the middle of his family, the Japanese Original held up his digital pad that was playing the live news feeds from just outside of the Capitol building. Leaning around in and behind him, his siblings and cousins were glued to the glowing monitor until the arrival of the Hybrids caught their focus.

"Any updates being made?" Solo asked, his tone betraying his concern over knowing that every living was soon going to be made aware that half-breeds existed in the world.

Trowa was the first one to meet his violet-and-silver gaze and reply, "Not yet. Shockingly enough, the reporters that were allowed access to the appeal haven't leaked a single thing of what's going on inside. I imagine they don't want to risk missing something by getting information out now."

Joining Barton and Chang behind the glider for a good view of the screen, the half-breeds exchanged small grins in greeting with their soul mates seated on the bench.

Anna leaned back against Wufei as he gently massaged her shoulders. Peering up at him, the redheaded Infected gave a lopsided smile of appreciation for his attempt to put her at ease. With having as much on the line as they did, the inseparable couple had been on pins and needles ever since they had sided with the Khushrenadas' decision to disclose everything to public knowledge... including their children.

Instantly, the Barton-Yuy Clan had made the pact that they would remain together, as they always had, no matter what fallout came from the revelations of their secrets. Having had to run and hide for so long, they all chose to make their stand where they called their home for better or for worse.

Chewing on the inside of his cheek, Solo asked, "So, we're still not going to start packing just in case things get bad-"

"No running," his family cut him off in growls, snaps and warnings at the same time as their eyes glared at him and fangs grew in to make their conviction to the agreement clear. Celeste went a step further by pushing an elbow back into his side for making such a suggestion.

His hands raising in defeat, the blonde Hybrid laughed, "Alright. Alright." Bending forward, he kissed the top of his Companion's head to make a silent apology while he unconsciously rubbed her arm to feel the gold band she wore proudly in proclamation of their bond.

With their sharp teeth retracting, the rest of the Clan focused back on the female reporter that appeared following a brief commercial break to announce, "At this time, there is still no word on what is transpiring in the Capitol now that at least five hours have passed since the World Council had stepped inside to resume session..."

*   *   *   *   *   *

"Thank you for your time in serving as a witness today, Sally," Treize smiled kindly to the braided companion seated beside the podium. "My may take your leave in the waiting room should Senator McAdams need to call upon you during her counter argument."

Closing the folder of her reports and placing them in her briefcase, Po nodded firmly and rose up to descend the stage. Silently following the usher who led her through the front aisles, she carefully shared a warm grin with the Vampire Council. Her friends and their peers subtly smirked and winked back, their satisfaction over her performance manifested on their faces.

Sally's telling of Anna's conceptions, births and the brutal surgery that had removed her womb and nearly killed her were thoroughly detailed... if the recording of the horrific event hadn't been enough for the livings who had to sit through her screams and the sight of her blood splattering the table she had been shackled to.

And that taping came after the playback of only a handful of the inhumane experiments that had been run on the Hybrids. Though their faces had been blurred out to protect their identities, their cries and howls of agony were enough to get their torment across.

Most throughout the atrium were either holding back tears, covering their mouths or just plain appeared ill after all that they had come to learn, spare for the few who remained defiant haters of any creature that was not one of them.

Nancy McAdams remained a blank slate when it came to having her reaction on display. Though she had already seen those digital tapes, she shuddered inside at having to relive their play through. But the most shocking thing of all was how her long-time foe held nothing back.

Admirable... if the Senator had to admit. However, he had left himself and every Vampire exposed for her to attack the very fibers of the trust that had been established between the humans and Infected. By extending his hand, he made it possible for her to have it slapped back on behalf of all livings.

She could still easily win. This was the very thing that she had wanted all her life- to be the one who led the charge in destroying the immortals who had been shown too much empathy.

Biting his lip, Treize held onto the podium and sighed deeply as he stared at the floor. "My friends, the registration laws are flawed," he began. "Rogues such as Damien, who had worked alongside with Septum, remain without trackers because they do not want to be found. Meanwhile, good Vampires like Anna, will be in constant danger so long as they can be followed wherever they and everyone close to them go.

He raised his head, stating, "As for the Hybrids, it is in everyone's best interest that that their identities be kept hidden. Their safety must be protected for the better of all in light of what they are capable of." Several representatives tilted their heads or frowned.

The Original rationalized aloud, "Septum Millers came frighteningly close to handing them over to very wealthy, influential individuals who have all been tracked down thanks to his records. If he had been able to operate in such a way unbeknownst to the rest of the world, it is very possible that such a thing could happen again. Those of us Preventers who have been mutated have not overextended our gifts for means of gain the way that those livings would have wielded the Hybrids as weapons."

Lightly tapping the edge of the stand, Khushrenada shrugged, "Policing Vampires should be left to Vampires. We know how we operate, think and yes... how we hunt. Our system has worked for well over a century and will continue to do so, as long as we are left to our devices. However, I understand now that our organization needs to be more of an open book if for nothing else than for those families of the victims so that they may have closure to their losses."

Arms falling limply at his sides, Treize frowned deeply to his associates, "The system is flawed... on both sides of the fence since there has been a lack of trust that we can all work and exist together. We had a great start for a long time now, but we should go on with even more respect and faith in each other."

Swallowing roughly, he said, "It is my hope that by revealing all that there is to know about us that you accept our well-intended reasons for keeping these precious secrets up to now. No harm was meant by keeping these things from you... just the opposite in fact. When there are friends, innocent children and the safety of all creatures hanging in the balance, we fought to defend those fiercely. But we need your help in this just as you need our assistance to keep a peace between our kinds. And the best way to accomplish that is to see that we are all treated equally."

Emotionally drained from his delivery, the Infected bowed his head with a genuine, "Thank you for your time."

His steps dragging a bit, Khushrenada pulled away from the podium and descended the stage to return to the Vampire Council's seats. Unable to meet the eyes following him, he silently mulled over his words and tore them apart. There was nothing more than he could have said or done in his opening statement.

Now he would have to sit and take Senator McAdams' retort that would shred apart what shaky ground the Human-Vampire Treaty stood on.

What murmurs began to grow throughout the atrium were quickly hushed when the Moderator took to the stand.

His own face carried the shock that Jackson was coping with after the most unexpected turn in the appeal process. But he was still able to maintain his professionalism when he singled out a certain young woman amongst the rows of seats before him.

"Senator McAdams," he addressed. "The floor is yours to counter."

TBC...

 

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