There's a darkness upon me that's flooded in light
In the fine print they tell me what's wrong and what's right
There's a darkness upon me that's flooded in light
And I'm frightened by those that don't see it
-Lyrics to 'Head Full of Doubt Road Full of Promises' performed by The Avett Brothers
Crimson Ties Part 90
"Instructor H's log- September twelfth of two thousand twenty-nine," the deep voice of the narrator opened the start of the next diary entry.
The words clipping along quickly, there was a profound rise in pitch at the thrill that was no doubt flooding the man when he recorded this particular submission. "Solo and Duo were delivered naturally at seven oh eight this morning. Their mother, Isabelle, is mending quickly and as elated as we scientists are this day."
Reaching over to take hold of his mouse, Wufei quickly stopped the recording. His breath still as he looked over to his braided brother-in-law, he saw the distant haze that covered the silver-and-violet eyes at the start of the memo. It had been a long few hours for the handful of listeners that had been sitting around.
Outside, daylight flooded the world that that was only splotched with the occasional pile of snow while the remainder of the terrain was absorbing the warm rays and air in the early signs of spring. The night was long past now, passed along by the stream of diary entries leading up to the very anticipated arrival of the first known hybrids born to a Vampire and a living in the world.
Letting out a deep sigh, Heero continued to gently massage the back of his Companion's neck to ease the tense muscles there. "Do you want to go on listening to this, love?" he asked softly as he leaned close, the concern and doubt that he felt dripping in his tone.
Maxwell swallowed roughly and met his gaze, a bit of the cloud in his irises pushing back. "I... I thought that I might have been able to handle it," he replied softly. Shaking his head, he frowned deeply, "But now I'm not so sure."
It was only a matter of time before the recordings included the recanting of what had happened to his biological parents... and what had become of his brother when he was left alone at the hands of the scientists.
Whilst he wanted to find out everything there was to know from the diary, Duo was also aware that this was his birth family that would be broken down as little more than a specimen. And the emotions that would surge from hearing such callousness being used to describe his flesh and blood might be more than he could take.
"Not one of us expects you to have to listen to any of this, little brother," Anna reassured as she shifted her chair closer against his other side. Reaching up to squeeze his shoulder, she smiled sadly, "Wufei and I would be happy to take that on for you." His head nodding before she could even finish her comment, the scaly Infected offered the hybrid a grin when their eyes met.
Leaning back into his Vampire's soothing touches against his neck, the Companion faced him and nodded solemnly, "Alright. We could always get ready to pick up Quatre and Trent from the campus since their classes will be wrapping up for the day pretty soon."
Heero smiled and lowered his hand to take hold of his Chosen's. "Good idea. Knowing Winner, he's been on the edge of his seat all day to get back here so that he can look over the medical reports that were found in H's computer. Maybe it'll help him and Catherine solve the mystery around that blood they're looking at."
Rising to her feet, their Irish sister smiled, "I'll see the two of you out, then."
Moments later, when Yuy and Maxwell were off with tight hugs and kisses to their cheeks, Anna closed the front door of her Celtic home. Sighing softly to herself, her smile slipped away to the worried frown that replaced it. Not looking forward to listening to the recordings, she was all too understanding of the necessary evil that the task would be.
Bolting up the main stairwell in a whirl, she materialized at the top floor when a strange wave hit her. Against the wave of nausea that suddenly came on, her eyes widened as she threw a hand over her mouth. Swallowing down the sensation, her skin paled with panic.
Slowly lowering her hand, Anna waited in the hallway a moment to steady herself. And as quickly as that odd bout came on, it vanished completely. Taking a deep breath, she rolled her shoulders back and subconsciously rested a hand against her abdomen. "Okay," the Infected breathed as she went to rejoin Wufei, "it's just in my head."
That sentiment had been made so convincingly that she never gave her little spell another thought.
* * * * * *
Noin sat across from Peter, Eduardo and their Vampires in her living room as she processed everything that they had just informed her regarding the odd images that they would see from time to time. Beside the mind reader, her husband occupied the rest of their love seat as he cast a glance to their anxious cousins standing in the doorway. Worrying her hands together, Lady Une asked, "Do you have any idea why they are seeing the same pictures, Lucrezia?"
"From what I've been able to understand about how the mind works now that I have this ability, I know that thoughts are normally compressed the same way," the short-haired Original muttered.
Overlapping her hands together on her knees, she hunched forward while keeping her gaze on the new Companions. She shrugged, "I've seen those flashes in both of your heads now and I can definitely say that most of them are exactly the same pictures, so you definitely have those places in common during your time as Others."
A deep frown marring his face, Treize tilted his head and inquired, "How is it they have those images even after their turning when their friends lost those memories? I understand that even when they were under Solo's influence he was protected from our being able to see him, but there was literally nothing to be found in Sharon, Jacob or any of the remaining Companions in the first place."
Turning to meet his golden eyes, Noin answered, "I believe that something changed in the minds of the Wilds that shifted how their thoughts were compartmentalized..." Making vague gestures with her hands in the air, she explained, "It's like some things slipped through the cracks when their senses were lost. Now that they are mending, those things are resurfacing."
She took a deep breath before looking back at the Companions before she went on, "I did try to read your minds when we first brought you in just so that I knew what thoughts were running through your minds at the time."
Her voice trailing off, her whole body shook with a tremor that shot through her at the memory. "I could only find the numbing void of loss, hatred and the desire to kill every one of us around you at the time. There was nothing else for me to work out."
The Companions ducked their heads, swallowing roughly as their Vampires wrapped supportive arms around their shoulders. Leaning heavily against Gabre, Peter's fists clenched in his lap and he glared at the floor. Shaking his head, he insisted, "I swear that was not us... we never would have... neither of us wanted to hurt anyone, least of all Infected since we loved your kind before Solo twisted us." Eduardo nodded enthusiastically.
"No need fret over that any longer," Mimi urged. Squeezing her Hispanic partner's leg, she leaned close to his ear as she said, "We are all well aware that you were not to blame for anything that happened following your attacks. That is all well behind us now." At her words and the African Vampire's silent backing, the newborn immortals eased.
Lucrezia smiled sadly, "I am very sorry for giving you any notion that my sentiment was an accusation as it could not have been further from my intent. I only mean to share what glimpses I had into your thoughts before your turning. Once your minds began to heal at the injection of the Vampire blood in you, so did the clouds around your minds pull back. However, there were distinct differences between you and the rest of the Others that were turned."
Crouching forward even more, she shared, "You see, those cracks that the madness had created were also mending. And that is why I believe you are seeing these images... they're seeping out of the gaps and holes of your subconscious. What we need to do is use those flashes to our advantage if they are able to help us find Solo in any way. I am afraid that it will only be a matter of time before your transformations completely erase what you have maintained."
His whole body relaxing at that, Eduardo sighed in relief, "Whatever you have to do, you have more than my blessing."
"Mine, too," Peter was quick to offer with a firm nod, voice firm with the same resolve that filled his blue eyes.
At the sound of the front door opening and closing, Noin grinned, "Excellent. I promise you that what I need to do will not hurt in the slightest. In fact, you will not even know that I am using my gift at all." The smile slipped away as she stated, "Relena will have the challenge of finding where these places are. From what she has shared with me regarding her own ability, she has a far easier time seeing people than specific locations."
Sitting back, she told her friends, "But first, I just want to take one last step to confirm my theory." As soon as her words left her, Rosshe and Trent entered the room when the Preventer co-Commanders stepped aside for them.
Gold-and-brown eyes settling on the mind reader when she looked on them, the Egyptian Infected greeted, "You wished to see me?"
Rising to her feet, Lucrezia replied kindly, "Yes. Thank you for coming so quickly, Rosshe. There has been a... development that you may be able to help me sort out, if you would not mind answering a few personal questions."
Shoulders rolling back as a small smile spread across his handsome face, the other Vampire nodded in his acceptance to be of whatever assistance he could be. Trent stayed back, swallowing roughly as he looked onto his brother with a bit of anxiety since he had no idea what this 'development' entailed.
What the former Hunter was certain of, however, was that it must have had something to do with his missing sister. There was no other reason for her Chosen to be called upon at such a late hour with the urgency it bore.
"You said before that Dorothy had verbally acknowledged you... called for you," Noin commented softly, treading lightly over the sensitive matter. At the sight and sound of the rough swallow that her friend made before he nodded once more, she asked, "Were you able to see anything through her eyes? Many times when a Vampire's intended Companion does that their voice is not only heard, but their other senses are projected as well."
Already lost in his memories of the distress in his Other's voice when she cried for him, Rosshe's throat went dry and he felt the threatening sting of tears. Shaking his head, he frowned deeply and breathed, "I... I am not exactly sure. I was very lost to my pain at the time. Her voice was as clear as a bell to me, but I do not recall anything else."
"Try," the mind reader pressed gently. "I cannot use my gift to pull forth something that you are not able to remember on your own. Were there any sounds? Smells? Anything that might have gotten through to you in that moment? Think back hard on that. Absolutely anything might be able to give us some clue to where she is now that I might have something to go on thanks to our new Companions, here."
His eyes widening, Trent held his breath as his head turned back to watch his brother. Rosshe's frown burrowed all the deeper as wracked his brain, lowering his gaze. "I... I do not know if there was-" Gasping sharply, his own eyes grew when his brain brought back a suddenly crystal clear image. He shot his head back up and whispered, "Water. There was water... a great deal of it. I could smell the salt on it and hear the waves."
Already in his thoughts to see the picture, Noin's eyes blinked widely and her audience tensed in anticipation. "My God," she breathed. Spinning to peer back at the Companions, she shook her head, "It's exactly the same." Looking onto her Commanders, she cheered, "We just might have our first look at where Solo is hiding!"
* * * * * *
Pacing the floor of his throne room with his hands folded behind his back, a certain hybrid glared at the ground before him. Ever since his team that he'd sent after Rosshe had disappeared, his nerves were on edge.
The thought of how his twin had gotten one over on him was still irritating him beyond measure. There was no way Duo should have been able to intercept the Others and Wilds without having a Seer for one and a way to beat his creatures across the globe for another.
How such a feat was accomplished was beyond Solo... until he thought harder over the matter.
Of course there had to be a balance of sorts between him and his brother. They were of the same biological makeup after all. And if he was able to turn intended Companions while they were still living, breathing humans, then that could very well mean...
His eyes widening, the Reformer froze in the middle of his lair. "That's it," he breathed so softly that his voice was almost nonexistent. Tangling his hands in his short hair, he shook his head, "It has to be."
Back by the high-backed 'throne,' Rachel and TJ lowered the toy cars and coloring books that they had been playing with to stare worriedly over at their creator. Only a few feet away, Dorothy's shoulders sagged heavily with her concern. She was just about to step up to see what was wrong when the tiny empath beat her.
"Master?" the little boy frowned as he got to his feet. Running over to the hybrid, he wrapped his short arms around a leg tightly. "Why are you so scared, Master?" he asked up at the pale face. "You were never dis scared before."
Solo quickly regrouped to calm himself so that the boy's gift would only pick up on that. Gazing down at his small charge, he forced a smile and reassured, "Something just came up that Dorothy and I need to see to, but it's nothing, Theodore. You and Rachel just stay in here while the guards stand by until I'm back." Lightly patting the youngster's head, he shrugged nonchalantly, "Everything's perfectly fine." That said, he gestured to his confused Seer and led her from the from the room.
Her big eyes blinking, the girl came to her own feet and approached her 'little brother' when he turned to face her. Staring at the door as it closed after their parental figures, she whispered, "That was a lie."
Quickly passing the orders to the guards beyond his quarters to look after the children, Solo's fists clenched at his sides as he began to storm along the metal catwalks. All but running to keep up with him, Dorothy called as softly as she could manage to not alarm the Others that were standing around, "Sire? What has you so troubled?"
"I believe that our dear Meiran has been holding back on us," he hissed under his breath. "And if learn that she has, I will see her suffer slowly and painfully before I kill her." Rachel's ability would have been the easiest way of getting the answers he wanted, but the hybrid also did not want the little one to see what he would do to the Vampire when his rage got the better of him. He would get the truth out of the Vampire his own way.
Grabbing Dorothy's wrist, Solo pulled her onto his back and became a blur of himself in carrying them the rest of the way to the holding cell. Carefully lowering his Seer when they materialized beyond the closed door, his fiery and reddened face was all the order that the suddenly nervous Others standing watch needed to know that they needed to move out of his way.
Without a pause in his stomped steps, the Reformer raised his leg to send a powerful kick to the sealed off door that knocked it from its hinges. As the barrier fell inside the dark cell with a deafening bang, he stormed inside to grip the stunned Vampire inside by her neck. Heaving her from the floor with that hold, he slammed her back against the wall with an enraged scream.
Meiran cried out in pain at the brutal blow, staring into her captor's blazing silver-and-violet eyes with real fear the likes of which she had never known. Unable to swallow beyond what would have been a strangling hold on her throat, she managed hoarsely, "W-what is this?"
"You've been holding out on me!" Solo shrieked so loudly that Dorothy recoiled back a couple of steps from him. "You neglected to tell me that my brother can enhance you vile blood-suckers the same way I can bring out a living's potential! If you were truly working with me, that should have been the first bit of information you shared with me!"
Her eyes growing as far as they could, that horror in the Infected was amplified. All too quickly, she was very aware of the very real danger that she was in. If what he was suggesting were true, then there was the tremendous threat that her braided enemy now posed to worry about on one hand. But more the more immediate hazard came from the furious creature boring down on her in what he believed to be a betrayal on her part.
Failing to swallow yet again, Meiran stammered in her strained voice, "I-I swear to you I never knew." Shaking her head to the best of her ability despite the tightening hand on her, she trembled violently as she pleaded, "Why would I hold something like that back when I betrayed Duo and everyone around as I had? Where would the sense have been in giving you the location of my creator and so-called family?"
Solo growled deeply, leaning his head in close enough that their noses were almost touching. Whimpering, the beauty in his possession's eyes squeezed closed. Just when his anger was about to take over, his Seer's voice rose to call softly, "Master." With a snarl, he snapped his head to face Dorothy. Her folded hands rising up towards her face, the concerned Other bit her lip in a subtle gesture.
Losing a bit of his ire, the hybrid closed his slightly parted lips to feel \his long fangs that had grown in without his knowing. Quickly recalling them, he gazed back on his shaking prisoner. Of course he wanted to take out his rage on the Infected. But there was no act in her terror, in the desperation of what she had said. He did not need Rachel to know that she had spoken the truth... that she was every bit as unawares of Duo's talent as he had been until a moment ago.
Meiran had nowhere else she could go now. And an ally, even one only stayeing out of necessity and fear by his side because he was their only option of survival, was still an ally.
The corner of his lip curling up, Solo released his hand from the lovely being's neck. "You're very lucky that I believe you," he drew out. Ever the prideful one, Meiran was just about to glare at him as she rubbed her throat, but thought the better of it. She did, however, roll her shoulders back to straighten herself.
Snorting, the blonde immortal commented, "If I am right in my belief and my brother is a Reformer like myself, then my other theory that he has a Seer working along with him is also correct. And the moment you are beyond my presence for so far, there will be nowhere for you to hide from the wrath that your family and former friends will likely bring down on you. So, it seems as though you are most certainly bound to me now."
The Vampire's jaw fell open and her eyes grew anew. Every scheme that she had been plotting out in her time alone in her cell of how she might be able to escape the inevitable battle to come unscathed and away from both sides of the battle had completely come undone. Were it Solo to come out victorious, he would come after her, just as Duo and his family would hunt her down if they were the victors.
Every possible fallback plan had been narrowed down to the only option that Meiran had. Frustrating as her time with Solo and his Others was, she had no choice but to stay with them for the remainder of her days. and because she did so prefer to exist rather than not, she would be as fierce and loyal to him, if it meant not being wiped from the face of the earth.
A thought coming to her, the Infected shifted her gaze over to the Seer. "You still cannot see my family or anyone associated with Duo? That many of them could not have possibly stayed close to him for this long."
Shaking her head, Dorothy frowned deeply, "There hasn't been a single glimpse of any one of them. And I have kept a constant watch around your former premises since the attacks. It has been most frustrating, to say the least." A shudder running through her, she muttered, "Rosshe, the Vampire that several of our Others went to claim, has also completely vanished from my sight."
Meiran's eyes narrowed. "His blood must be involved. If they are in fact drinking from him to acquire gifts, they have the added benefit of having you blind to them." Casting a side-long peek at Solo, she refrained from her comment of how he was not able to accomplish such a feat when he turned his minion.
The absolutely seething expression on the Reformer's face made it known to how perfectly aware he was of that. At long last, he let go of his boasting in having to admit that there was at least one aspect in which he was not as powerful as his twin.
And there was no question to just how bitter that pill was for him swallow.
"They've gone on for far too long with this," Solo hissed through his teeth. "I can't allow him to create what might likely be an army of his own to mount against us. Who knows the leaps and bounds they've come in bringing in other Vampires to retaliate. The control needs to come back into our hands so that we have them face us on our terms and crush them before they become too strong."
Frowning at that, Dorothy asked, "You're not actually suggesting bringing Duo here into our custody? We have no idea what he's really capable of. Then you have his Chosen... maybe the balance works that his creations might be blind to you, but Heero would be able to follow his Companion wherever he is now that they are officially bonded. Nothing can break their connection. We would have any and every Infected that can be called upon storming our lair."
Solo smirked to her, "That's exactly what I want. They will not sit and wait too long in gathering the numbers they can if they believe that their precious weapon is in danger. Here, we have the advantage of knowing the layout of the land. Better to have the fight take place where we have the advantage and time to be ready for their onslaught. Even if they have had weeks now, their force cannot possibly be as impressive as ours."
"Yes," Meiran grinned darkly. "Let them come and end this so that we have no opposition in bringing our biggest challenge down. End them now and we can step up to reach our goal of ruling over living and Vampire alike." The plan was a good one. And not that there was a very real chance of victory, she was salivating over what such a thing would mean for her.
What was more, Duo would no longer be the thorn in her side when it was all said and done. If there were a way of making it that Heero's existence could be spared, he would have no choice but to choose her or be killed. Either way, she would be satisfied with the outcome.
Uneasy as she was at the thought of having a wave of Vampires storming the only home that they knew, Dorothy had to admit that the danger of giving Duo the freedom and time to surpass the number of Others was far worse a concept.
Drawing a deep breath, she nodded, "I agree that we should act sooner than later. One thing that they do not have is the advantage of knowing where to find us for the time being. If we are going to do this, we best make sure that our army is ready before we move in."
Practically vibrating with his excitement, Solo smirked darkly, "That will not be a problem. Leave it to me. Once I'm convinced that everything is in order, I'll be paying my dear brother a visit."
* * * * * *
A deep, long sigh carried over the computer speakers. Long gone was the excitement and jovial tone to the deep voice that announced tiredly, "Instructor H's log, February eighth of two thousand forty-five. After all of our research, experiments and probes... I can safely say that we have been terribly wrong in trying to play God. Really, that is the only way to describe what I and my team have been doing for the last fifteen years."
Leaning forward in her chair beside her husband, Anna glared at the monitor before them as she snorted bitterly, "Wonder what the hell took him so long to figure that out." She shuddered in thinking back to the entries that went in great detail to the painful tests that had been run on the mortal Reformer.
Every little thing down to how the young creature screamed and wailed in agony from the torment he'd endured was listed off by Instructor H without any sense of remorse or concern. After having to listen to log after log like that, the Vampires could no longer take it, leading them to begin sifting forward through the recordings to only pick up on the highlights.
This was the first time there actually sounded anything akin to a conscience.
Glancing at the toolbar at the bottom of the screen, Wufei made a mental note that there would not have been many more recorded entries left. "I am thankful that Duo was not here to hear these entries," he muttered when the silence continued. Shaking his head, he sighed, "It would have hurt him... badly." Anna swallowed roughly and nodded.
Once more, the weary voice went on, "We thought that we could make a weapon... the ultimate weapon that could stand up to Vampires and livings alike should there ever be a need. But... I think we have gone too far. Solo is incredible. A masterpiece, but he is too strong now. And it's become clear that he can manipulate some humans, turn them."
Another sigh followed by stillness resonated before H all but whispered, "Sometimes, I think I'm the only one who sees the threatening darkness that had been born out of our own devices."
There was another long pause before H all but whispered, "If Solo is capable of turning, I have little doubt that his brother can do the same do the same to Vampires." With a tremble in his timbre, he said, "I fear for both of our kinds if they were to ever reunite if they ever knew their true potential. God help all of His creations if that day were to ever come."
Sharing concerned, shaken expressions, the pair shot up in their seats at the sound of an explosion over the speakers. "Oh dear God! NO!" the Instructor shrieked so loudly that his voice shrilled. "NOOO!" His cries were silenced, completely covered over by an animalistic series of snarls and howls that was joined by the thick snaps of bone snapping, metal grinding and glass breaking.
And all that remained for the rest of the recording was the white noise of static.
TBC...
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