Finally, I can see you crystal clear. Go ahead and sell me out and I'll lay your ship there.
See how I leave, with every piece of you. Don't underestimate the things that I will do...
Throw yourself through every open door Count your blessings to find what you look for.
Turn my sorrow into treasured gold And pay me back in kind- You reap just what you sow
-Lyrics to "Rolling In the Deep' performed by Alele

Crimson Ties Part 103

That nauseating scent was growing stronger at every turn Anna made along the trail that she had picked up.

Sailing along the catwalks while dodging Others and leaving their powers in her wake, the Irish Infected's narrowed eyes only stayed ahead of her in cold determination in reaching her target. When it didn't seem possible for her to move any faster, she pushed on and increased her speed at her urgency to reach the little ones that were in very real danger at being so close to Meiran.

Only broken from her trail when a pack of three Others stood directly in her way to stop her at a secluded stretch of her path, Anna had no choice but to slow her head-long rush enough to deal with them. Glaring at her fierce challengers as their hands began to glow, she raised her right arm to pick them off with non-fatal wounds when they all stiffened at a terrifying howl.

Wide-eyed, the trio of silver-eyed creatures turned around only to be picked up by their throats, kicked in their chests and have bones snapped when they were flung aside- all in the blink of an eye.

Pale and trembling in the midst of the dark shadow of a beast that moved so quickly and violently, the redhead's enlarged eyes watched as it paused the moment its glowing violet irises fell on her. Blinking in shock at the revelation of that unique hue, her shaking arm lowered and she gasped when the being stepped out of the shadows so that she could really take him in with a timid approach... as if he was seeing acceptance and recognition from her.

But the nervous being had nothing to fear as there was no question to his identity. Anna knew him to be her brother every bit as well as his darker half that looked after him. A brilliant smile spreading across her face and tears of relief rolling down her cheeks, she breathed, "Shinigami."

In response, a high chirp bubbled from the hybrid as a wide grin lit his face a slowed heartbeat before he closed the distance between them to lift her in a fierce embrace, spinning her in the process as he purred from deep within his chest.

Laughing, the Irish Vampire closed her eyes and threw her arms around his neck. "Good boy," she soothed, kissing his cheek and running a hand over his fraying braid. "I knew you could hold your own here." When they pulled back, the smiling half-breed kept his arms around her waist while making an assessment of her own tattered condition.

"I'm okay. A few cuts and bruises, but they're healing up quickly," she giggled in reassurance while cupping his cheek when a stray tear spilled from those shining eyes. Gently brushing it away with the pad of her thumb, she whimpered, "Oh, you sweet guy. It's so nice to finally meet you."

Shinigami leaned into her touch, his smile returning as he purred deeply. Deep in the back of his mind, he could feel the raging conflict in his wielder as to whether or not it was wise for him to resume full control of his body. As much as Duo ached to hold his sister and be able to speak to her, he was also afraid that he might not be able to finish what he still needed to do.

Biting his lip, his counterpart shrugged and chirped again, this one with the sound of a question mark at the end of it in a gesture to the Infected.

"I understand," Anna nodded, her grin never faltering. Kissing his right cheek, she whispered, "That's for you... and this is for Duo." Pulling back from her kiss against his left cheek, she took a deep breath and straightened herself in resuming her focused determination. "Now you take good care of yourself and my little brother, Shinigami," she charged. He grunted with a sharp nod that promised he would and hugged her tightly again.

Shaking her head as she returned the embrace, the redhead told him softly, "Go on now, or I won't be able to let go. And right now, I have to find Meiran." At that name, a low growl broke from the beast holding her. Stepping back, he gave the Vampire a firm nod and a dark smile to convey his own wish to repay that vile beauty for the things she had done.

"You be careful out there, dear one," Anna requested quietly. The braided creature beamed at the endearment, clearly pleased to be considered something other than a monster.

Difficult as it was for him, Shinigami stepped aside so that Anna could continue on the course that she was on. Smiling, she gave small nod and bolted off in a blur of herself once more while he did the same in the opposite direction.

Silently saying a prayer of thanks that Duo and his darker half were safe as she ran on, it did not take the Irish immortal long to pick up on the trail again.

And the further Anna went, the more and more some of the old refinery equipment was on display. Everything from massive iron hooks to rusted turbines and gears could be found in the manufacturing half of the facility. The size of each room became more and more massive for conveyer belts and raised weights that had been used to pulverize down the materials that once went down the line.

When she was completely alone, the redhead materialized and took a moment to sniff around again. Knowing that she had been on the right course, she tried to block out the other smells musky mold and other old scents that were overwhelming her nose.

"Damn hormones," she muttered under her breath as she carefully walked around the tools and machines. Smirking, she ran a hand over her protected abdomen and added sincerely, "No offense against you."

Were it not for her ability to see clearly around the nearly pitch space, Anna would have had to feel around to navigate through her surroundings. Then, when she reached the center of the floor, a sudden light that penetrated the darkness threatened to blind her in the unexpected arrival of its brilliance. Gasping in surprise, she froze to shield her wincing, golden eyes.

At the same time that she blocked some of the glare of the blow torch flares that were lining the catwalks above, a thick clanging filled the Vampire's ears.

Spinning towards the sound, her eyes grew at the sight of a metal hook twice her height swinging down for her, its sharp tip aimed for her head. Automatically shooting forward on pure instinct, she narrowly missed being impaled as the hook continued its travel across the room until it embedded itself into the wall opposite of where it started.

Enraged, Anna panted as her fangs grew back. Turning herself while bellowing in a snarl that echoed off the deserted room's walls, she ordered, "Show yourself, Meiran! You and I have unfinished business to tend to! For one who was so confident she could take me, I'm surprised that you're hiding like this!"

Her stalking across the room came to an abrupt halt when a familiar voice's giggle finished the trail off of her own.

Up on the highest catwalk, no other than the black-haired beauty herself stepped forward in the glow of the torches that continued to illuminate the grand space. "Hello, little bastard child," Meiran greeted, that smug smile of hers curling her lips as she rested her hands atop the railing. "Much as it aggravates me to say so, I have to admit that I'm impressed at how such a lowly creature as yourself has made it this far on your own."

The Irish Infected glared heatedly up at her, snorting, "Nice to see that you haven't changed one damn bit. This is going to make my work in shredding you apart even more enjoyable than I originally thought it would be."

"You'll never have the chance," Meiran growled, her own fangs sliding down past her lips. "I have been looking forward to this little reunion as much as you. And I intend to make good on killing you as I should have all along."

Opening her arms out, Anna smirked, "Well then, come down here so we can do this like-" A high-pitched, muffled scream cut her off and her eyes grew. The smile on her face returning, the raven-haired vixen took up the remote that she had hidden from plain sight and punched a few buttons to have the walls behind her challenger open up.

Slowly turning herself to see what was being revealed to her, the redhead's skin paled and her eyes grew as far as they could in terror. "My God," she breathed brokenly, her fangs retracting at her shock and disbelief.

Dangling from a the droop of a thick metal hook, TJ and Rachel were suspended and bound by thick ropes that tied them with their backs to each other. Their eyes wide and filled with tears that were rolling down their faces, the young Others looked on the Irish Infected as they shouted behind tape that covered their mouths. And waiting about a couple dozen feet beneath them was a tall pool of churning, glowing liquid fire of molten rock.

The air rushing from her lungs with a sharp whimper, Anna's rage kicked in as her fists clenched at her sides. Peering over her shoulder to glare at her existence-long enemy, she shrieked, "They're children, Meiran! I can't believe that even you would be capable of something like this!"

A dark chuckle bubbling from her, the beauty rested her hands on the catwalk railing again and smirked, "Those little freaks of nature are of absolutely no concern to me. But now you have a difficult choice ahead of you. Either you can come this way and deal with me one-on-one, or you can hurry to rescue those wretched brats."

Reaching down to lower a lever on the remote control, she smiled, "But you don't have a lot of time to make up your mind." At her command, the hook began to descend for the bath of molten lava. Crying and yelling behind their gags, the little ones closed their eyes and squirmed to try and free themselves... only their efforts were wearing on the ropes that were suspending them from the hook

"TJ! Rachel! Hold still! I'm coming!" Anna shouted frantically. Completely ignoring the other Infected, she kept her back to her and shot for them in a blur of herself.

A wicked grin spreading across Meiran's face, she giggled and pressed one last button on the control pad. Jolted when the floor shifted beneath her, the redhead was spun off her feet until she came to a rolling stop just before the melting tank.

Before her growing eyes, she watched as a hoard of snarling, howling Wilds were exposed in a holding room that sunk deep beneath the slide away planks. When the give way floor stopped, more than half of the space was opened up to the threatening creatures.

Enraged and blood-thirsty, Wilds caught sight of the shaken Vampire over them and they scrambled to climb their way up the tall walls to have her. Propping an elbow on the edge of the railing, Khushrenada smirked, "I would make it quick in helping those little monsters before you're of no good to them, dear. You're about to have your hands full."

Her fangs sinking again, Anna growled deeply at the back of the box that Meiran had tried to keep hidden from her sight. Raising her right hand, she closed an eye to secure her aim and fired her crossbow. The shot had been true as the sharp tip of the long arrow pierced through the control panel to have the device spray bright and colored sparks that sizzled, popped and crackled loudly.

Crying out in surprise, the beauty fell back while shielding her face from the small explosion. Under the safety of her hand, her gold-and-dark eyes thinned in a glare as she growled in frustration.

The gears of the hook that was lowering Rachel and TJ squealed to a halt and they were kept at a safe height of twelve feet over the burning bath. It kept them well out of reach of the occasional splashes and bubbles that rose from the tub. Easing in relief, the little ones' eyes relaxed a bit although a new wave of worry came over them... this time for the Irish Infected that was looking over them.

Anna pushed herself to her feet, keeping her focus on the first wave of Wilds that had managed to claw their way to the surface. Their eyes filled with the madness that had consumed them, they panted and salivated at their opportunity to take out a Vampire at last. Flailing in their charge for her, their voices rose in chilling screams. And this was just the start of what was to come.

Drawing a deep breath, the redhead's face bore an expressionless coldness as she raised her crossbow to her oncoming attackers.

*   *   *   *   *   *

Kristin was not having a good day.

First, she and her good friend had allowed two Vampires to slip past their defenses which not only brought on their Masters' ire, but the opening that their enemies needed to now be crawling through every nook and cranny of the cliffs of their island.

Then, she had been pummeled by large, round projectiles that left large bruises where they struck her. And just to make her day even more pleasant, she had been shot by that Vampire with fire-red hair that she had been trying to stop when that bitch was making her way up the wall.

So, it was with a moan of relief that the petite Other looked up just in time to see her closest ally leap into the entrance of her cave. Pulling out the arrow that was embedded in her left shoulder, she smiled tiredly, "Manuel. Thank God."

Kristin hurried close, commenting, "I was so afraid that you might have been ki-" That as far as she managed before her comrade raised a fist to send a blow across her face that knocked her out. Little did she know that there was one kindness shown in that Manuel had stopped her fall just before she hit the floor of her hideout.

Carefully lowering the young woman, Zechs resumed his true identity when he straightened himself up. A pleased smile on his face, he told himself, "Nice to be able to take out these creatures without having to put up a fight like this."

Moving from one cave and crevice to the next, he was able to take on the images of dozens of Others already. Not only accepted by them, but actually welcomed into their lairs, the Speaker was able to bring a large number of them down without having to so much as raise a weapon against them. It certainly made scaling the last of the cliffs much easier when he didn't have to fight for his life at the same time.

If only it could have been that easy for the remainder of the army. Outside, the sounds of the intense battle continued as the Wilds and Others that continued to hold their ground put up every bit of a fight that they could. The fact that they were outnumbered and no longer had the high ground to themselves didn't matter in the slightest to them. As far as they were concerned, their lives were still in danger.

At the sound of another presence appearing in the cave entrance, he spun while removing the long blade from the holster on his hip when he took in his wife. Releasing a deep sign, the Councilman lowered his sword and shook his head, "You're lucky that I didn't run you through, love. Tense as it is around here, everyone's on a hair trigger to act out."

Noin smirked, "I would have stopped your thought process if I was worried you would hurt me." Scanning her husband from head-to-toe, she was relieved to find that he was completely free of any injuries.

When their eyes met again, she smiled warmly at catching him doing the same for her. "Treize is having all of us move the unconscious Others back down to the beach where they'll be protected by Shields so that we can have them all in one place," she informed. "I was just about to pass the idea along to everyone when I saw you come this way."

"Not a bad idea of a plan," Zechs stated, sheathing his blade once more as he turned towards the prone creature on the floor. Easily picking her up and cradling her over his shoulder, he nodded firmly to his wife, "I'll show you where I left her friend, Manuel." That said, they darted outside at lightning speed.

~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~

Trent was having a time fending off two Others that he stumbled upon since his teleportation up onto the highest ridges of the cliffs when the taller of the two raised his hand up and sent a whirlwind through the cave. Yelling in surprise, the former Hunter dug his heels in as best he could to slow his bring pushed beyond the ledge of the opening's mouth while struggling to take aim with the laser before the powerful gust forced it out of his hand.

Unable to breathe from the force against his chest, Greyson shouted when he felt his heels slide out into open air. In the next second, he was falling away completely.

Desperately clawing out for anything, he was lucky enough to get a hold on the ledge with his right hand. There was not a moment for a reaction from him when the female Other of the pair he had been fighting rammed her sword clean through his palm.

His head falling back, the living's eyes closed in an agonized scream that ripped through him. A second blade, this one a long dagger from the Wind Manipulator, pierced his left bicep when he unconsciously reached up to free his hand.

Before the mortal's cry broke from that stab, Rosshe leapt into the scene from a nearby ledge while firing a stun laser at the Others. As the threats fell away to clear the way for his landing, the Egyptian Infected's skin paled considerably as he looked down at his brother. "Trent," he whispered in a concerned breath, quickly lowering to his knees to remove the thick sword that impaled the Hunter's hand.

Tears of pain and frustration coursed down Greyson's face as he growled loudly at having the metal ripped back through the gaping hole in his palm. The moment he was free, his Vampire brother grabbed him from underneath his arms and pulled him to safety well inside of the cave so that they could both sit upon the floor.

"Goddamn it," the living swore under his breath, yelling in pain when the dagger in his other arm was removed.

Wufei materialized in a flash of color before the pair. Blinking widely, the scaly Infected took in the extent of blood that his mortal comrade had already lost. Rosshe was doing a good enough job of stopping as much of the flow as he could with the sleeves of his own brown shirt that he had ripped apart, but professional care would be needed. "I'll get you back to Sally and her team," the Mimic announced.

"No!" Trent shouted up at him, narrowed eyes still shimmering and a deep frown on his face. "I need to stay here and find Dorothy!"

Patiently lowering himself to his knees, Chang rested a hand on the Hunter's good shoulder. "You'll be of no good to her if you're not tended to properly. You're already losing a lot of blood and you've done all that you can here," he urged in a soothing voice. Smiling sadly, he reassured, "We'll being Dorothy to you. On that you have my word, friend." At that endearment that the living had used for Anna moments before her run, he grinned in seeing the effect that it had in relaxing Greyson.

With a reluctant sigh, Trent leaned back against the wall behind him. Closing his eyes, he nodded and muttered, "Alright. I'll go back." It went against everything in him to leave knowing that his sister might be in all kinds of danger... especially when he was so close to reaching her now. But Chang was right in that there was nothing more he could do if he didn't have a good way of defending himself with his injuries. And he knew that the Infected would do everything in their power to bring Dorothy back safely.

To only emphasize that, Rosshe rubbed the top of the living's head as he vowed solemnly, "She's in good hands. By my existence, your sister will be well looked after. I'll personally make certain of that."

Unable to help the smile that tugged his lips, Greyson looked on the Egyptian Infected and replied sincerely, "I know. Thank you." They exchanged one-armed embraces and pats on each other's backs before the mortal nodded to his smirking, scaly friend in a gesture that said he was ready to go. Closing his eyes, Chang kept his hand on Trent's good shoulder and had them both glowing a swirl of colors until they faded completely away.

Rosshe rose to his feet, gazed back at the fallen Others that he had brought down and removed a flare that he set to glow at the ledge. That had become the method of which the allied soldiers revealed to the Teleporters that there were more charges to be brought back down to the beach. When he sat his own red light down, there were hundreds of others like it burning up and down the stretch of the cliffs.

It was a remarkably beautiful and relieving sight to the weary eyes of the soldiers.

Slowly craning his head upward to stare at the top of the rock formation, Rosshe rolled his shoulders back and promised under his breath, "I'll be with you soon, Dorothy."

~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~

Trent hardly had a moment to blink when he returned to Heero and Duo's living room along with Wufei.

Voices that he recognized called his name in shouted concern when he was suddenly brought to his feet and led to one of the few empty beds to sit on its edge where Sally filled his vision. Hunched over with her stethoscope swinging in front of her like a necklace, she and one of her nurses worked together in cutting his shirt away for a good look at his injuries.

Carefully removing the make-shift bandages that were already sticking to skin where the blood was drying in places, the braided doctor gave orders for a fresh suture kit.

Quatre and Relena were there in the next blink, cleaning their friend's arm and hand's gaping wounds with what was now well-practiced skill. Catherine had the medical equipment that had been called for while Midi rushed to her scaly cousin to give him a tight embrace.

Snickering softly as he returned the desperate hug, Wufei kissed the brunette Vampire's cheek. "I wish that I could stay, little mother, but there's still a lot of work ahead of us," he said as he rubbed her back. Gesturing to his charge when glazed over eyes met his onyx-and-gold, he asked, "Still with us, Trent?"

"Y-yea. 'Lil fuzzy," the former Hunter stammered in admission, shaking his head to fend off the dizziness that had come over him. He heard Sally murmuring something about preventing shock before he was gently pushed to lie down comfortably on the bed.

But the blood continued to come even as the doctor tried to close up the long gash in his bicep. Relena worked in assisting Po with her stitching to close the hole in short order. Running a finger over the thick, red droplets and licking it with the tip of her tongue, the Councilwoman was mentioning that he was 'A positive'... or something like that.

Midi bit her lip and her worried gaze fell on the Mimic as she asked softly, "Anna? Is she...?"

Chang released a deep breath in a sigh, face practically shining in pride when he answered, "God, cousin, I wish you could have seen her out there on that run. She was absolutely amazing." The Latin Infected beamed in delight over that news and was about to ask for more information when their injured friend spoke up.

"She ran like sh'was possessed! Itwas aw'som." Trent cheered in a slur as he tried to sit up, only to be pushed back down by Quatre and the spinning world. By his head, Sally cursed and shouted to one of her nurses for more help and blood if it was available, yelling something or other about finding that an artery had been nicked. But that was about as far as the Hunter was able to pick up when his eyes closed and all of his senses blacked out.

Wide-eyed, Wufei froze when the 'little mother' hurried by the bed that was reddening a dark crimson on the living's left half beneath his arm. "His pulse is slowing!" Po bellowed over the moans and other noises in the room as more nurses charged in, one of them hollering that there was no A positive or O blood available from what they were able to bring from the hospital.

"I can help," a voice offered so softly that it was nearly lost to the other noises in the room.

Their heads turning, Sally and Relena blinked their growing eyes and quickly made room for their new arrival to step in. At the sight of her, Wufei and Midi physically eased, knowing that Trent was going to be perfectly fine in a matter of minutes... albeit in a bit of a shock when he was back with the world.

Gently taking hold of his cousin's arm, the scaly Infected pulled her back from the scene as he picked up his earlier discussion, "I haven't seen Anna since we were able to breach the cliffs with her help. I need to help with moving the Others we've managed to take down to the beach so that we can move them all soon."

He didn't need to voice that the sooner that was done, the sooner he could check on his wife and their growing little one, the urgency in his tone spoke that message clearly.

Smiling, Midi nodded, "Get going, then." They exchanged one more quick embrace and Chang winked encouragingly to the 'little mother' before he faded away again.

~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~

Perched on the roof of the old oil refinery, Solo's short and shaggy hair shifted on the wind that was picking up once again. His lips pursed in a thin line, he paced back and forth as he glared down to the beach. The fight had been much shorter than he had ever anticipated.

Already, about half of his army was lying stretched out along the shore where they lay unconscious and watched over by the Infected that were gathering them. Meanwhile, the sounds of the skirmishes that were still being waged in the cliffs were weakening considerably from how they began.

So much for the blaze of glory that he wanted to go out in.

Teeth clenching, the hybrid released a deep growl and stalked towards the Other that lay on her side a few feet away from him. Retreating back as best she could with her arms bound behind her, Dorothy winced and whimpered through the gag in her mouth as she shook her head vehemently. Just when he bent at the waist to grab her, Solo froze when a deep voice greeted, "Hello... brother."

Blinking widely, the Reformer peered up to see the familiar shape and face of his twin. However, while the outward appearance was the same, there was a darkness even in the brilliant light shining through Maxwell's violet irises. Fists clenched at his sides, braid flying in the wind behind him and his stance strong in readiness to attack at any second, this creature was not at all the Duo that had been trapped behind four walls only moments ago.

Taken aback by the change in her braided friend, even Dorothy's silvered eyes grew as she took him in from over her shoulder.

Surprised as he was at the sight, Solo's lips curled in a sinister smirk. "Well, well, well," he chuckled humorlessly. "So, you have a darkness guardian in you as well... brother. Unexpected as this is, I'm actually glad to know that I'll have a bit of challenge in killing you. It wouldn't have been fun if it was too easy."

"Good luck with that," Shinigami half-snickered-half-growled in a far deeper voice than Duo's. "My wielder wishes you to be taken alive, though I made no promise to him that I would show that kindness after everything that you've done to our family and countless other lives in building your little army."

The smile on his face only growing, the other Reformer's own violet irises glowed and his tone deepened as he stated, "You have shared too much. Regardless of your wishes, you must obey your wielder regardless of what you want. And my other half always gives me free rein in whatever I do."

Snorting, Duo's counterpart replied, "So, this is really what you want, then? A fight to the death for one of us?"

Without hesitating, Solo's monster's fangs grew in as he nodded firmly, "Yea. That's what I want."

If that was meant to give Shinigami pause, it failed as he snickered deeply. "Excellent," he snarled, his fangs retracting to slip past his lips. Lowering himself into a low crouch, he decreed, "Then let's not waste any more time and just finish this once and for all."

TBC...

 

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