People get ready, there's a train to Jordan
Picking up passengers coast to coast
Faith is the key, open the doors and board them
There's hope for all among those loved the most
-Lyrics to 'People Get Ready' performed by Jeff Beck and Joss Stone- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7ECdYboOVA
Crimson Ties Part 77
As mind-reeling as the telling of the hybrid and his Others had been for Trent, so was it for the members of his former Hunting pack. However, there was one major difference in that the tension over being in the midst of Vampires had not completely washed away from all of the mortals present.
Shoulders sagging heavily as they sat before their visitors, the Hunters soaked everything up that they had learned from Anthony and the Infected before them with wide eyes and quiet murmurs amongst themselves. Looking onto their would-be enemies with his exposed silver-and-violet eyes, Duo bit his lip and watched the quiet exchanges anxiously.
Even in having a first-hand account from the new Companion of how not one Vampire was responsible for what had happened to him or the rest of Solo's army, many of the living continued to look on their company with a mix of skepticism and still for others, disgust.
"So you really expect us to kill our own in these Others? They are still human, after all," one young woman pressed from the back of the clan. A few voices grumbled their own wonderings over that very concern. Their backs straightening, the Infecteds' gold-ringed eyes grew in disbelief.
Treize quickly raised a hand and shook his head, "I assure you that we do not want any of Solo's turned to be killed. Had we no interest in what became of them, we Preventers would never have taken the measures that we did to investigate their disappearances."
Easing when some of the trepidation in the eyes watching him faded, the Councilman declared, "All that we want is a peaceful end to this struggle for the better of both our kinds. It is, after all, humans as well as Vampires that are being threatened by Solo. This is a fight that we must wage together if we want to be successful."
One of the younger men in the front folded his arms as he glared on the Infected. "And if we refuse to help, you'll turn us into the authorities for organizing against your kind, right?" he demanded. "I'm sure that there are others in this room that are like me in never wanting to work alongside vermin like you."
Casting his heated stare on Trent, he added, "That includes traitors to our own." Heads nodded and more voices rose in mumbled agreement. Rather than be intimidated by their anger, Greyson raised his head in defiance.
Heero bit down on the inside of his cheek to hold his tongue while both Wufei and Anna fought to keep the tremors spreading through their bodies from showing.
The last thing that they needed was to demonstrate just how much they appreciated the lack of acceptance that was being shown to them. Showing their frustration in any way would only undo what little progress had been made in communicating with this particular group of humans.
Still... it hurt. More than any one of them was willing to admit even to themselves. Duo, however, wasn't the least bit unawares. Every bit as upset over the situation, he moved close to his family to offer whatever silent encouragement he could at the moment by physically being there for them.
Unconsciously, Heero leaned against his braided Companion in a rare need to be supported. Opening his hand, Maxwell turned it to lace their fingers together in a firm hold.
Ever the picture of calm patience, Treize informed their audience, "Every one of you here is free to go without the fear of punishment for simply expression your right to believe as you will. Whilst I cannot promote further meetings where you bear arms as you have in the past to continue by allowing this warehouse to remain, there will be no charges pressed as there was no true offense made."
To the eyes widening on him the tall Vampire raised a finger, warning in a grave voice, "However, should there ever be an attack on a single Infected from here on out and we find that even one of you is involved, I will see to it that those responsible will be flushed out and be persecuted to the fullest extent that the law abides."
Eyes narrowing to make his intention all the more understood, Khushrenada promised, "Your organization will be exposed and even your fellow livings will turn on you for working against the treaty between our species. Just as you insist on looking out for your own, so do we. I would suggest that you not chance your luck."
Taking a deep breath when the Commander nodded to him, Heero announced, "Those of you who wish to stay and fight along with us are welcome to stay. Everyone else, you're free to go." As Anthony and Josh moved to flank the doors, he smirked, "And I am sure that you all understand our searching you before you're allowed out to make certain you're not hiding any weapons on you."
Without even taking a moment to consider, six people spread throughout the room got to their feet. Narrowed eyes still locked on the Infected, they turned on their heels and headed for the door to be inspected. Several more rose up, grumbling to one another along the way.
Little did any of those living that were in the process of leaving know that their memories of the meeting were no longer going to be with them when they left the abandoned building. It was an additional trick that Noin picked up on with her mind-reading ability that Wufei was also gifted.
Best for those choosing not to join in the fight to not be privy to what had been shared with them. It would have been all too tempting for the Hunters that wished to hold onto their prejudices to leak the existence of the Preventers and the need for them to the public.
Closely watching the mortals heading from the room, Anna asked through her thoughts, 'Got them all, love?'
"Every one," her husband's smooth voice replied when it filled her mind. A lopsided grin curling her mouth, the Irish Infected squeezed a scaly hand.
Her eyes growing when her grandfather was not moving from his seat, Hilde snapped her head towards him. "You're actually considering working with them?!" she cried. Shaking her head, she reminded, "You were the one who preached to me all of these years that only we livings had the right to live in this world! Let them fend for themselves against Solo and the Others!"
Slowly meeting her glare, Doctor J frowned deeply, "Dear one, even I am not too old to admit that I can still make an error in judgment. And I believe them when they say that their enemies are ours in this case. It's not only Vampires that are in danger."
Jaw falling open, the administrative assistant stared dumbfoundedly at the old man. "Well, you may be willing to work with them, but I'm not!" she shouted, fast to her feet as she stormed for the door as the last Hunter to exercise their right to walk away.
Greyson took a short step forward, stopping himself from calling after Hilde's retreating back. Swallowing roughly, he lowered his head. Reluctantly, he let the last of the candle that he'd held for the girl to extinguish.
This was a new chapter in Trent's life, all of this letting go. And though much of it might be painful at the moment, he was ever hopeful that it was for the best.
Wufei's voice spoke through the former Hunter's mind to promise, 'She'll never remember a thing about tonight.' Slowly lifting his head again, the junior met his scaly friend's gold-and-onyx eyes. A relieved smile spreading across his face, he gave a small nod of appreciation.
At the very least, there was relief for Trent in knowing that Hilde wouldn't remember the last bit of anger she'd had towards him and so making them enemies. The way that she had looked on him ever since his arrival with the Vampires... she never could have forgiven him for turning on those who were once his own.
Now, he had a chance to still have her as a friend. And that was better than nothing.
Once the last of the mortals that had opted out of offering assistance was well away from the room, of the original thirty-eight that the meeting had started with, twenty-one Hunters still remained... a much higher number than what Duo had hoped that they would hold onto when all was said and done.
Best yet was the resolve and fixed determination in the eyes of those men and women looking on their guests. Not even Doctor J took a moment to look back at those that had left, making their intent to stay all the more clear. Still...
Running his gift through the minds of the lot still present, Wufei's voice informed Treize, 'They're in one hundred percent. No one is looking as this as a chance to make a strike against us.' His concerns relieved, the Councilman sighed softly as his tense shoulders relaxed at the weight that had been lifted.
Metallic hand gripping his cane, the old leader of the Hunting pack rose to his feet and approached the Vampires. "We're going to need a lot more help than this," he commented, scanning his few remaining pupils and nodding firmly to them in pride for their choice to stay and fight with their unlikely allies.
As he met Khushrenada's gaze, he adjusted the glasses on the bridge of his nose and offered, "I will contact the other packs that I am in contact with throughout the nation." He gestured to the laptops that the scaly Vampire had set aside to be searched through.
Pulling a deep breath, Professor J went on, "Having worked alongside a great number of them in the past, I know the ones that can be brought to light with this information. They'll be able to assemble more Hunters that we can bring into our ranks. If this Solo is assembling an army at the rate you're fearing, we would only be helping ourselves by expanding our own."
When the Companions and Infected exchanged concerned glances from the corners of their eyes, the scientist raise his good hand while declaring, "We are putting a great deal of trust in all of you, enough so that we are willing to put our preconceived notions that we have had for nearly all our lives in check. I do not believe that I am asking much when I request that a bit of that trust be returned from your end."
It was Heero who spoke up in admission with a softly chuckled, "No... I agree with you that it would only be a fair thing to ask." Duo, Anna, Wufei and the rest of their team physically eased with small smiles of their own, heads nodding in agreement. For a further demonstration of that olive branch being extended in a more literal sense, Chang retrieved the two laptops to hold them out to the old Hunter.
A rare, small grin tugged J's lips as he accepted the computers with a quiet and sincere, "Thank you."
"My deepest gratitude to you all for staying and wishing to aid us in this," Treize told the rest of the lot sitting before him. "And I do hope that you will accept my apologies if I came across too harshly earlier. But you, if no one else, would understand the importance of looking out for your own. I do hope that the circumstances that have brought us together bring us to a better understanding of one another."
Several livings bit their lips and swallowed roughly, but there were none who raised argument. There was only a sense of the same desire amongst all of them.
One of the young women in the back leaned forward in her chair, asking, "So, what's the first thing that we can do?"
Raising an eyebrow, Khushrenada turned back to face the old man beside him. Instantly picking up on what was about to come, Doctor J sighed deeply and bowed his head in solemn acceptance. Their backs straightening, that same realization shot through the remaining Hunters as well.
There needed to be one last demonstration of the alliance that was forming between the once sworn foes. And in order for that bridge to take shape, the old structure needed to be burnt down in a literal sense.
* * * * * *
By the time the fire engines and police rolled into the scenes the last explosions completely consumed the run down warehouse, those responsible for causing it were well away. Already on the roads taking them beyond the city, the brilliant lights from the blasts were barely visible in the rear view mirrors for Treize and his team.
There would be a very carefully cracked gas pipe that investigators would find once the flames were extinguished and the barren remains deemed safe enough for the authorities to check out. Once a leak was deemed as the reason behind the fire, the rubble would be demolished and cleared out without any further question.
Seated in the passenger seat of the Councilman's black car, Doctor J gripped his cane that was draped across his lap when the last signs of the blaze disappeared from the side mirror's reflection. "The end of an era," he muttered.
"And the start of a new one," Treize grinned, trying to keep the air light with a friendly enough tone in his voice. "I admit my friends and I were not looking forward to the meeting between our packs. But tolerance has to begin somewhere on both our sides."
The corner of his mouth curling up in a lopsided smile, the old man said softly, "Tolerance. I do like the sound of that better than violence. Much of my teachings came from a long, long line of Hunters before me. Now that I've seen with my own eyes how you and your kind are protecting livings like myself... I can't deny that much of what was preached to me was wrong."
Snorting, the Hunter shook his head, "Never before would I have ever imagined getting into a Vampire's car, let alone agree to set foot into their homes so that we may devise how to work together."
From the back seat, Duo couldn't help but smirk in amusement, "Try being a human who hated anything and everything that had to do with the Infected only to find out that they're tied to one." Beside him, Heero chuckled quietly and reached over to squeeze a hand.
J peered over his shoulder, snickering, "Yes, I have to admit that you had the far greater run of unexpected surprises, Maxwell. Between that and the discoveries of your heritage, I marvel over how well you've managed to cope with everything. You are a remarkable young man."
Their gazes staring forward, Yuy and Khushrenada smiled at the same time, "That he is."
Ducking his head, the braided Companion's face flushed out of embarrassment over the compliment. Kind as the words were, he was still coming out of his unease over being this friendly with a man who moments ago wished only the worst of things for the Infected. But he still managed to flash an appreciative grin and replied sheepishly, "Er... thanks."
"Actually, the whole notion of this get together came from Duo and Trent," Heero shared. Squeezing his lover's hand, he focused back on the old man as he stated, "And we are every bit as protective of Greyson as we would be one of our own. So, it would be appreciated if you and your brethren would go easy on him. This whole situation has been very difficult for him."
The hybrid beamed at his Vampire, making his pride known through his silver-ringed eyes. Considering the steps that had been made on the Original's part to be able to say those things about his classmate, Duo couldn't have been happier.
Just as Treize had said, tolerance needed to start somewhere. It was a wonderful thing to see the start of that in the works. Once again, just when Maxwell was so sure that there was no possible way that he could love Heero any more than he already did, he was proven wrong.
In the light of the adoration that was practically radiating from his Companion, Yuy grinned shyly while their laced fingers tightened all the more. With that smile, Duo could almost see the blush that would have colored the Infected's cheeks.
Drawing a deep breath, Doctor J peered forward to the road stretched out before them and nodded, "Yes, Trent has been through a great deal these last few years since his sister's death. It couldn't have been easy for him to worry over keeping everyone's best interests in mind." He winced, "I can't say that my behavior and lectures made the matter any easier for the lad."
Not hesitating another moment, he peered back at the couple behind him and promised, "No one will give him a hard time for bringing you to us. As it was discussed, we all have a common enemy here that we're centering all of our attention on. It would do none of us any good to turn on each other."
Satisfied with that, Maxwell was able to completely relax for the first time since the conclusion of the funerals hours ago. His shoulders slumping and back falling against the cushioned seat behind him, he released a soft sigh.
What remained of the ride to the cluster of mansions was made in a companionable silence. The caravan of cars that followed Treize's slipped silently behind him to park in the half-circle street that belonged to he family of Council Representatives.
The, one-by-one as their vehicles were set into park and their headlights were turned off, the Hunters slowly emerged to stare up in awe at the grand estates. They were not able to linger out in the street long before a certain 'little mother' of an Infected stepped out on the porch of Treize's home in the middle mansion to call out to the new arrivals, "Now you'll all catch your death of colds if you stand out there all night."
Waving towards the door that she stepped aside, Midi smiled, "Come in. Come in There is hot food ready in the kitchen for you to help yourselves to before you continue with your talks."
At her warm greeting, the Hunters looked at each other in surprise before they stepped forward to filter up to the front porch. Keeping at the back of the group, Anna smirked to her husband, "That's our charmer of a cousin." Chuckling, Wufei nodded his head at the sentiment as he looped their arms together during their accent to the front door.
Khushrenada shook his head in amusement at the Latin Vampire when he neared and asked, "You just couldn't help but cook, could you, dear?"
Placing her fists on her hips, Midi tilted her head and replied, "Well, I thought that if we might have guests they might be hungry at this late hour. It wouldn't be very kind of us as hosts to bring them in and expect them to work on empty stomachs."
She paused to make sure that the last of the Hunters were well inside and out of earshot before she closed the door as she added softly with a sheepish grin, "Besides, I needed an excuse to see for myself that you were well even though Relena kept a close watch over your meeting."
"Ah, there it is," Heero snickered at the admission. The smirk on his face told enough that he had expected as much from his fretting cousin. To the soft snorts and snickers from the rest of her family, the slight brunette folded her arms over her apron-draped sundress and stuck her tongue out at them only to make them laugh all the more.
His face bright with the wide smile that came over him, Josh stepped forward to comment, "I hope you made enough of whatever is in the kitchen for everyone, Midi. Even if I'm never hungry, I could always go for one of your soups or whatever you cook up."
Practically glowing, the little mother beamed, "Oh, you are in luck then, dear one. There's enough for a small army since I overdid things as usual." Gently ushering the blonde Companion through the door as she draped an arm around his shoulders as the other fell in behind them, she giggled, "You just tell me whatever it is what you want."
The last Vampire to make a move inside, Heero was caught off-guard when his Companion suddenly gripped his arm to pull him back so that their lips could be pressed together for a fiery kiss. Blinking his widened, gold-flecked eyes until they drifted closed, the Original only needed a brief second to return the gesture tenfold.
Though he was considerably stronger than Duo, Yuy didn't put up a challenge in being pressed back against the brick wall behind him.
Gripping onto each other tightly and savoring in a long battle that was being waged through their clasped mouths and tongues, the lovers moaned and gasped deeply throughout the exchange. Finally, the proximity of his Other's body and the heat that was rising between them became all too much for Heero. Turning his head, he sank his growing fangs into the nape of Maxwell's neck to take a few slow, deep gulps.
A strangled cry of surprise and euphoric pleasure breaking from him, the hybrid's enlarged, silver-ringed eyes drifted closed with a deep groan.
For a few blissful, slowed heartbeats, the whole world went away from Duo. All that existed was the mind-numbing rapture of having his Vampire drink from him.
Sagging heavily in the firm arms that continued to grip him, he gave into his body's need for release at the same time that he heard and felt Yuy join him in the oblivion of their climaxes. When the Original pulled away a long moment later, the braided immortal panted to the gold-and-cobalt eyes that locked onto him, "God, I needed that."
That was, of course, a great understatement. Following a day of stressful events that had been building up for days, to have that connection with his Vampire was the lifeline that he'd sought for since the start of the funerals. More than that, Maxwell also needed to make it know how much he appreciated all of the understanding and support that only his partner could have shown him.
Licking away the stray drop of blood from the corner of his mouth as his fangs retracted, Heero purred, "You and I both." Only tightening his hold around his lover all the more, he leaned in to rest their foreheads together and breathed, "I love you, Duo."
A sated grin warming his face, Maxwell rested the side of his face against his Infected's shoulder as he replied in kind, "Love you, too, Ro." He shivered when he felt his Chosen's tongue run along his fresh puncture wounds to clean them.
The rest of the feeling in his body returning, the hybrid's heavy-lidded eyes snapped wide open and he blushed when a certain stickiness resonated. "Um... do you think that the others will miss us if we run home so that I can make a quick change?"
"Well, I am in the same predicament," Yuy chuckled as he easily scooped his Companion up in his arms. Kissing the end of Maxwell's nose, he winked, "They won't even have the time to miss us." That said, he became a blur of himself in his shot from the porch to round the mansion for the patch of trees that separated the estate clusters.
Hanging on to the Infected's neck, Duo let out a howl of a laugh over the thrill of the rush of having their surroundings whirl past them in a matter of blinks. When they got home, he was going to make sure and take advantage of what more personal time they could get away with before the others would start wondering where they were.
* * * * * *
Cold.
Ice.
The howl of the wind.
A brilliant rainbow in the night sky.
Looking over the words that he had jotted down on his notepad, Trowa chewed on the inside of his mouth. Those were the descriptions that he had found in Isabel's journal that were used for her surroundings.
Having been drugged along with her husband before their capture, her thoughts were not completely lucid when she was able to gaze around during her transport. Once she was brought to the base, her world was only made up of metal walls from that day on.
At the time, the then expectant Vampire was not even certain whether or not she had dreamed the clouded visuals. Barton, however, was more than sure that she hadn't imagined those details.
They had been taken somewhere to the Antarctic. Trowa was confident in that. Not only was the location remote and the elements in favor of keeping such a place hidden from any possible wandering eyes, but it was one of the last places that the Infected would have thought to even begin to search for a base of such a nature since their prison was in the same part of the globe.
Now it was all a matter of narrowing down exactly where he could find the lab. While there was not a lot to go on, he only needed a place to start. Between what he was able to gather from her written word as well as being able to tune into how he felt through reading her experiences, he tapped into those guides to be led in the right direction.
So, it was with a strong feeling that he was on the right track that the Latin Infected closed his gold-and-emerald eyes to call forth his gift in search of the destination he desired.
TBC...
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