I'm back for revenge, I lost the battle, that ain't happening again...
Game's off homie, hang it up like some crank calls
You think I'm backing down,
You must be out your dang skulls!
-Lyrics to 'Almost Famous' performed by Eminem
Crimson Ties Part 64
Giggling, Anna clung to the Vampire that had thrown herself around her in a fierce embrace the moment she set foot back into her home. At the sharp sob by her ear, she smiled sadly, "Aw, Midi, I'm alright."
Still, the arms hanging onto her neck tightened as the 'little mother' began to shake. Closing her eyes, the redhead sighed and just held onto her cousin and let her cry out the last bit of her relief at having everyone in their family back safe and sound.
Wufei cleared his throat at the touching scene and gave his friends standing by in the living room an appreciative smile for their efforts in restoring their house. The first to approach the scaly Infected, Treize offered a hand and they exchanged a firm one-armed embrace before the rest of the prestigious clan took their turns greeting Chang.
Finally releasing the Irish Vampire, Midi wiped away the tears from her face and cupped her cousin's cheeks. Kissing her forehead, the brunette whispered, "Love you."
"Love you, too, momma bear," Anna smirked. "And who knew that there's been a little warrior in you this whole time? She's pretty badass." The sentiment was just the thing to lighten the mood as Heero, Duo and everyone standing by laughed.
As the chuckles and snickers died down, Trowa stepped forward to stand before the redhead. Biting his lip, he breathed, "Anna... I... I don't know how to..." His voice hitching in his throat when he looked to his wife that she'd helped save, the normally unshakable Vampire's eyes watered over.
Whimpering, the Irish immortal opened her arms with a soft, "Oh, Trowa, don't. No thanks needed." Barton shook his head, and caught her up in a fierce embrace that lifted her from the ground as she held onto his neck. When words continued to fail him, he pulled back just enough to press and hold a soft kiss to her lips that passed on his adoration.
Finally feeling good enough to speak, his tear-dampened lips smiled and he breathed, "Love you, cousin." That said, he lowered the sniffling redhead back to her feet as she returned the sentiment in kind.
Once she turned, Anna's own eyes shimmered anew with a sharp gasp as she finally had a chance to see the shape her home was in. Jaw opening, she slowly stepped into the living room to look on her dear friends and the repaired space. Soon spying the large display of flowers, balloons and gifts, she stifled a sob.
"I- I don't believe this," the redhead stammered. Chuckling quietly, the Khushrenada clan descended upon her for their own embraces and kisses along with Quatre and Catherine. Not to her surprise after the conversation that she'd had with her brothers in their drive from the hospital, Sally was amongst the greeters as well.
Catherine was the last to be greeted by the returned couple. "I am so sorry about Howard," Anna whispered by the living's ear as she wrapped her up in a tight embrace. "He was an incredible person and I'm better for having had the honor of knowing him."
Squeezing the Vampire back, the weapons specialist prot¨¦g¨¦ replied just as softly, "Thank you. If anything, it's nice to know that I'm far from the only one who will miss him."
"And how are you doing, dear?" the redheaded immortal frowned deeply in concern when she pulled back to reach up and cup the girl's face in her hands.
Grinning at that, Catherine replied, "I'm okay. Things are a lot easier to handle now that I know I'll have a home with Treize and Lady Une." Wufei and Anna blinked at the smiling Council Representatives.
The scaly Infected told the living, "Well, you couldn't be in better hands. I'm glad that you'll be taken such good care of."
After she had a moment to reconnect with everyone, the Celtic Vampire beamed as she took up a large stuffed bear with brown fur and a purple ribbon around its neck to hug it tightly. "I was supposed to be finished crying," she snickered softly and looked on her grinning loved ones, wiping the last of her tears away.
Every bit as moved as his wife, Wufei stood next to her and pulled her against him when she moved to lean on him while Heero and Duo fell in at her other side to rub her back and squeeze her arm.
Swallowing past the lump in her throat, Anna told the lot standing before her, "God, I'm the luckiest creature in existence. You're all such wonderful beings. Thank you so much." The scaly Infected turned his head to rest a kiss against her forehead.
Zechs smirked, "It was the very least that we could do, sweetheart. And it was our pleasure." His family nodded their heads in agreement.
Biting her lip, the freckled Infected sniffled and waved at her stinging eyes. Before she fell apart again, she shook her head, "Oh, enough about me." Her gold-and-blue eyes settling on a certain scientist, she smirked, "You look like you're about ready to jump out of our skin, Quatre. Why don't we go sit in the next room and talk?"
All but collapsing, Winner released a sigh of a deep breath that he seemed to have been holding for quite a while. "Thank Allah!" he cried in relief as the others standing around laughed. Their chuckles, however, all carried a bit of anticipation as they all wanted to know what the living had discovered through his experiments.
Duo's shoulders tensed in his growing anxiety as their friends filtered from the living room with Quatre in the lead. Turning to face him, Heero held his Companion close against his chest and kissed him soundly. In an instant, the rigidness in his Chosen's body relaxed and the gesture was returned whole-heartedly.
Pulling away, the Original rested their foreheads together. "This is what you wanted to know... the last missing piece to the puzzle that makes you. And whatever it is, we'll get through it," he reassured. Maxwell lowered his arms to his side, smiling lovingly as he gave a firm nod.
"Hell yea, we will," Anna smirked, taking her little brother's hand into hers to squeeze it. Wufei lightly 'punched' the hybrid in the shoulder in an affectionate manner. Their arms looped behind each other's backs, Trowa and Midi approached to offer their own calming comfort.
Surrounded by nothing but love and support, Duo was able to move beyond his fears and righted his resolve. A small smile curling his lips, he breathed to the Infected around him, "Damn, I love you guys." Chuckling, the family moved to form a tight group embrace before they headed out to give the Companion and his Vampire some space.
As soon as they had the room, Heero claimed his lover's mouth with his own in a much more fiery kiss than their last. Violet-and-silver eyes widening, Maxwell gasped but quickly recovered. Closing his eyes with a deep moan, he gave back every bit as much need and desire into the spar that their tongues were engaged in.
"I love you, Duo," Yuy whispered breathlessly when they broke apart after some time as they continued to hold onto each other. "And as soon as we're through with this meeting, we're going back home to have a long time alone so that I can help you through all of this properly."
Lightly brushing back the bangs from his partner's eyes, he frowned deeply, "I've been so worried about you, but I knew that you weren't about to be consoled until you could see for yourself that Anna was alright."
Ever amazed at how well his Chosen knew him, the braided Companion blinked and grinned widely. "Love you, too, 'Ro. I could definitely go for a long stay in our bedroom," he replied. "Being locked away with you would help a lot."
The corner of his mouth curling up, Heero promised, "Whatever you want." Raising the hands that he had linked together, he kissed the back of his partner's wrist and winked. On that vow, he led the way out to join the others in the spacious next room that contained a long enough table to seat everyone.
Already in their places, the group of Vampires and living alike watched Yuy and Maxwell enter in silence. Taking the last two available chairs that were at his sister's right, the Companion smiled to her as he accepted the hand that she reached with beneath the table while never releasing Heero's in the other.
Meeting the scientist's gaze across from him, Duo squeezed the fingers laced with his own and nodded firmly, "Okay, Quat. What did you find out?"
"Only the most amazing thing!" Winner practically shouted, making many of his friends jump from the sheer excitement and volume. Waving his hands in the air, he never paused for a breath as he exclaimed in a rush, "I ran test after test once I was finally able to form a plausible theory and it was proven true every time!"
Relena giggled and patted the mortal's shoulder. "Dear, you're at about an eleven right now," she informed patiently, "we could use more of a five or a six." Voices around the table snickered in amusement as the scholar blushed and ducked his head with a sheepish grin directed at the Councilwoman.
Peering back at the smirking Companion, Quatre took a deep breath to calm himself. "Sorry," he grinned. "I can't tell you how many cups of coffee I've had since I lost count; not to mention just how absolutely incredible this finding is."
Maxwell chuckled, "No problem, man. We're pretty used to it by now."
At that, Sally blinked in surprise and turned towards Catherine beside her to lean close and whisper in awe, "You mean to tell me that Quatre's like this normally?" The redheaded living fought the laugh that nearly broke from her and hummed an affirmative, nodding her head shallowly.
Forcing another deep breath as all of the focus fell back on him, Winner folded his hands on the table and stated much more calmly, "You're a reformer, Duo... the first and very likely only one of the two to ever exist in the world."
Confusion washing over his face, Duo straightened against the back of his chair. "A reformer?" he repeated quietly. Like everyone else around the table, Wufei and Anna exchanged frowns of uncertainty before they focused back on their little brother.
Heero squeezed his Chosen's hand and requested, "Would you please elaborate on what that means, Quatre?"
Beaming, the scientist answered, "Gladly." Slowly leaning back, he began, "Now, we all know how second generation Vampires bring on some physical or chemical change in an Infected that they turn." Holding a hand out to the pair beside his braided friend, he commented, "Case and point Wufei's enhanced skin since he was turned by Anna further down the line from their Original, Heero."
Chang rested a scaly hand over his wife's, shrugging, "We all know of that attribute when it comes to turnings."
The living shifted in his chair, focusing on the Irish Infected as he said, "Well, it all ties in to an extent. If you would please, Anna, could you please tell me what was first and foremost on your mind when you bit to turn Wufei?"
Much to the surprise of the other Vampires around, the redhead never even flinched at having to recall that fateful night. Instead of being haunted by the ghosts of the past, she replied simply, "I wanted him to be protected from any harm, safe from any blade or other potential threat on him."
A wide, proud smile tugged her husband's lips. Seeing not even the trace of a cloud in her eyes as she turned to look on him, Chang's still heart swelled in the proof that she had completely put their history behind them. Unable to help his own wide grin, Duo watched them with a surge of relief as Heero smirked to himself.
Winner brought his hands together in a loud clap as he cheered, "That's exactly what I'm getting at! We're only now beginning to understand that there is a bit of an influence in the shape that a new Vampire takes when they're down the line from an Original. In a way, that innocent wish passed on from Anna's DNA brought on the adjustment in Wufei's own strands to give him the skin that shields him."
As her surprised friends and family took all of that in, the redheaded immortal blinked widely, stammering, "W-we had always wondered over whether or not the change came on as a coincidence or not."
Nodding to the stunned pair, the scientist said, "Well, not every Vampire has a specific desire for the person that they're turning so the change brings on the natural potential that the bitten living has. But after looking into Duo's blood, I can deem it as proven that your situation is no coincidence."
Chang drew a deep breath at that and gazed back on his wife with a wide smile. Now coming into the certainty that his physical change had been a precious gift from her, he couldn't fend off the slight shimmer in his eyes as he kissed Anna's forehead in a silent whisper of profound appreciation.
Only then letting the emotions catch up with her, the Irish Infected bit her lip and leaned into the touch. Subconsciously, the pad of her thumb ran over the smooth scales at the back of her husband's hand that remained linked in hers.
"And that brings us to Duo," Quatre smirked, aquamarine eyes settling back on his former roommate. "Your blood works in the same way to Vampires, only it sees to the needs of the Infected that drink it as opposed to what you wish for them."
Those words resonated with Heero the most, gold-and-cobalt eyes widening with a sharp gasp. "My God," he breathed. "That's why..." He could feel every heavy gaze watch him as he completely turned in his chair to face his Companion.
Deep in thought, Yuy all but breathed, "The first time I drank from you, I was hoping with everything in me that I might be strong again... so that I wouldn't have to be a burden or concern on our family that had carried me for so long. Only, I've continued to grow stronger every time I drank from that day forward."
His skin paling, Duo's eyes widened as he stared on his lover in sudden realization. Dear God... that was what he was capable of... completely reconstructing a Vampire as they desired.
Slamming a hand on the table surface when he saw that clarity in his the hybrid's expression, Winner bounced from his chair as he cried, "That's right! Duo, just a few drops of your blood jump-starts evolution within the Infected! It appears to only be good for one permanent change and its effects are immediate."
A hand raising to point at the redhead across from him, the blonde's face threatened to split from the smile that spread across it. "Anna's DNA structure is already changed as well!" he announced.
"What!?" the whole of the Yuy and Chang clans cried as they spun their growing eyes on their mortal friend. Wufei wrapped an arm around his wife's shoulders, fearful eyes locked on the scientist. For their parts, Treize and his family sat in tense silence as they contained their own reactions to that last bit of news.
Hesitant, the said Infected frowned, "But... my strength hasn't changed at all. Earlier, I managed to carry Duo a few feet but that was no different from what I could have managed before I drank from him. And I know that I wouldn't be able to handle much more weight than that."
Wincing at how that sounded, Anna flashed her little brother an embarrassed smile, giggling, "No offense meant at all. You've beefed up quite a bit since you started your self-defense training with Wufei."
Duo laughed, "No offense taken, sis." Patting her back, concern marred his face as he faced Quatre again to ask, "So... what's changed in her, then?" He was rewarded with small smiles from his siblings that had been too nervous to make the inquiry themselves.
Frozen for a moment, Quatre cleared his throat and muttered, "Umm... I don't know." Peering on the nearly frantic Irish Vampire, he told her, "All that I'm sure of is that there were drastic changes in the strands of your DNA after you drank from him based on the samples that were embedded into Sally's scrubs that she had brought to me."
He mused aloud, "Because you were unconscious at the time, you most likely took on whatever your potential power that you would have eventually evolved into centuries from now."
"Which could literally be any gift that we may or may not ever discover," Wufei supplied in a mumble.
Physically deflating when the scientist nodded shallowly, Anna's shoulders and head drooped with her clear disappointment. Since only the first drink was good to use to whatever advantage they could, the opportunity could very well have been wasted on her.
Quatre worked quick to wave at her, reassuring, "That's neither here nor there. We know beyond doubt that a change had occurred in you. Given the nature of the struggle that's been unfolding, I'm convinced that we'll find out what ability you took on." Not trusting her voice at the moment, the redhead flashed him a grateful grin and leaned against her husband when he pulled her against him.
Running a hand through his long bangs, Zechs commented, "All of this explains the Others. Since Duo can change our kind, Solo can change humans. That's why he's targeting potential Companions... something in them holds the potential for their powers and he's using them to make his army."
In a breath, Noin's wide eyes stared out into nothing as she continued, "Making our own look like the villains in the process. That's the only way he could possibly win them over since they're all tied to Infected. We've been chasing ghosts this whole time, convinced that we were dealing with Rogues."
"That kills two birds with one stone," Lady Une murmured. Falling back in her chair, she shook her head, "By severing the tie between the Companions and their Vampires, not only does Solo win over willing, gifted allies but he eliminates the Infected when they begin to wither away." images of sweet little Jacob filled her mind. The young immortal was still hanging by a thread ever since Sharon was taken from him.
Relena groaned, "But to what avail? What is he after that he's willing to destroy so many lives and existences over?"
Her brother ground through his clenched teeth, "Take you pick of motives- power, fame, endless wealth. There wouldn't be an end to what he could have at his whim with the force that he's creating. We just make to make sure as hell that these turnings he's bringing on don't somehow fall on us. Could you imagine what would become of our kind if the living thought that we went against our treaty to never create another Infected?"
Just the mere thought of that brought down a thick silence around the table. Eyes enlarged, the lot gathered imagined the hell that would be unleashed... burnings, riots, terror the likes of which history had never seen before in the wake of the complete dissolution of the peace that had been forged between the two species.
Khushrenada finally spoke up to suggest, "If that was what Solo really wanted, he would have made that move by now... all the more reason to believe that he wants power through this. Should we ever become outnumbered by his creations, we would be forced to fall under his control simply to survive along with the living. That's why it's vital we handle this on our own and as quickly as we possibly can."
Gold-and-blue eyes falling on the Companion at the other half of the table, Treize added, "Luckily, we have the great equalizer in Duo. We could make an army of our own... bring only our most trusted of agents in to evolve with abilities that will even up the war."
War. That word settled heavily on Maxwell's shoulders, but there really was no other way to describe the struggle that was taking place.
Taking a deep breath, the silver-eyed immortal provided quietly, "There's more than just that. Apparently, nothing that Solo's Others throw at me has an effect. I'm pretty convinced of that since I should have been taken out pretty easily back at the Maxwell Church." Shuddering at the memory of that horrific close call, Heero squeezed his lover's thigh.
Long fingers burying in his hair, Quatre laughed, "That's fantastic! Of course, that means that any ability that you pass onto a Vampire will probably be just as useless in going up against your brother." Biting his lip in suddenly realizing what that meant, he frowned, "Making you the only one able to stop him."
Barton folded his arms, eyes narrowed as he growled, "Solo must already know that, too. The first battle he called was a warning to keep us from bringing his only challenger to him. He sent a promise of death and ruin to anyone who stood in his way... including the only real family that he has."
Equally enraged, Duo hissed under his breath, "Yea, well he and his Others are in for a rude awakening if they think that we're going to lay down and them get away with this." Turning towards Anna, he asked, "Do you have any of my blood in storage?"
"Several bags worth," the redhead nodded. "Based on Quatre has been saying, it's probably more than enough for everyone here." She bit her lip, frowning, "Though I think that maybe we should take some time to process this. We still have a prisoner to interrogate. The more information we have to go on the better."
Heero rubbed his Companion's back and agreed, "Anna's right. This is a lot to take in, especially for you after everything that happened. We still need to discuss what we're going to do with your new semester starting tomorrow as well as the funerals for Howard and Father Maxwell to sort out."
Every head around the table nodded to back the sentiment, worry falling over the beings gathered around as they watched Maxwell closely.
Not about to ignore his desire to be alone with his Vampire that had been denied, Duo sagged heavily in his seat with a sigh. Dry-washing his face with his hands, he replied, "Alright." Lowering his arms, he stared deeply into the gold-and-cobalt eyes that he both drowned and found his salvation in.
A sad smile tugging his lips, Yuy brushed the backs of his fingers against the side of his lover's face. Rising to his feet, Treize declared, "We'll resume this in a few days, once we have had time to let the dust settle from the attacks. I highly doubt that there would be a chanced second hit made here. Solo has been patient and calculating up to now as to avoid exposure so he won't return to the same place twice."
The Councilman turned towards his cousins to order, "Zechs, Noin, you two work on getting what you can out of our new friend." At the snapped word 'friend,' the Council speaker and his wife smirked.
Meeting adjourned, the group made their way from the room in a serpentine of a line. Duo hung back along with Heero to approach the scientist that remained behind.
"Quat," the Companion began, "if it only takes a Vampire drinking my blood to change them, do you think that it's the same for my brother when he turns his Others?"
Winner hummed before he answered, "Well, I have a theory on that one, too. Because you don't have a great deal of Vampire DNA, there's a very good chance your brother took on more of your mother's make-up. Because the two of you have as many differences as you do similarities, it is very possible that the same could be assumed of how you both go about making your reforms as well."
Silver-and-violet eyes growing, Duo breathed, "He's biting them."
* * * * * *
Pulling back from the wailing young woman beneath him, Solo chuckled deeply to himself.
Blood dripping from his fangs, he reached up to wipe his chin clean before his long, sharp teeth retracted. Sitting back, he watched the flailing and broken form convulse in the start of her turning to become the first of his many new recruits.
One down. A good many more still to go.
TBC...
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