[10:08PM, January 14, UTC +02:00]
ECRU cried out and clawed at the mattress, ripping the fabric layer and spilling the stuffing. His legs jerked with uncontrolled spasms as his fangs throbbed painfully and his open jaw quivered. Warm hands held the back of his neck and guided him towards a pulsing artery which he bit into without hesitation. The sweet metallic flavour burned into his taste buds, shooting intense bolts of pleasure into his brain as flashes of light exploded behind his eyelids until his body went limp and his mind went fuzzy, overloaded with ecstasy. He retracted his fangs with practised ease and sucked off the trickling blood before the wounds closed. He rested his head against the muscular shoulder as strong arms held him up, the hands caressing his back slowly lulling him into a stupor.
"Our only real shot is the Synarchy."
The voice sounded dampened in his euphoric haze, and for a moment he wasn't sure he heard correctly.
"Hmm?" he asked, confused.
"I'm just saying," Adam replied, his voice low, "we have four sets of twins in training, and if we can get them to trigger a synarchy, the exponential power boost can easily counter this grapevine effect."
Ecru blinked slowly and leaned back until he could look at Adam's face. "What?"
"It should work," Adam continued, his eyes unfocused, "if we can figure out how to trigger it. I mean, we've only seen it once and all my research hasn't revealed how exactly-"
"Wait," Ecru said, "That's what you've been thinking about the whole time?"
Adam blinked and focused back on Ecru's face. "What?"
Ecru grabbed Adam's shoulders and pushed off, and with large strides, he cleared the length of the mattress, stepped into the ensuite bathroom and slammed the door behind him, locking it with a wave of his hand. He leaned back and forced in a deep breath, then slowly started counting down from fifteen. He heard Adam's movements on the other side of the door, and fisted his hands as he stepped away from it to distance himself, the tiles sending sharp tingles of cold up his bare feet.
"Ecru, I..."
The voice broke his last thread of restraint and he grabbed the sink, ripped it off and threw it against the wall. It shattered, spreading sharp fragments all over the floor. The burst metal pipes sprayed him with frigid water, fuelling his anger, and he squeezed them until the flow was shut off. He tore the towel rack off the wall and smashed it on the toilet bowl, sending chips of ceramic flying around the room.
"I'm sorry, okay? I wasn't thinking. Well, technically, I was thinking but...please open the door."
"Fuck off!"
He moved to the shower, punching the plexiglass repeatedly until it broke. He ignored the blood on his fists as he ripped the shower unit off and punched several holes in the walls. He needed the pain. He had to to numb his thoughts or he was really going to lose it. As much as he had tried to ignore it, it was becoming painfully clear how much Adam was pulling away. He thought they had patched things up after their near-break-up, but from Adam's attitude after he disappeared for a week - making Ecru go through the indignation of begging Maureen for blood - to how he always chose to be occupied with other matters, Ecru should have known something was wrong. He had excused the behaviour as part of the stress of the situation and tried to accommodate these changes because he trying to show that he could put Adam's needs before his own and prove that he was making an effort to be a better person. But this...
This was just...
"Ecru, open the door. Please."
He screamed back in rage and hurled a piece of the broken sink at the medicine cabinet, shattering the mirror and knocking it off its hook on the wall. Their toothbrushes and other contents sailed out and tumbled across the cold tiles. He looked around at the damage. It wasn't enough. But he knew no amount of destruction could release the knot of emotions tightening inside his chest.
"I'm really sorry, okay? B? B, please just let me in."
He fell on his knees and looked at the door. Adam could have destroyed the locks easily if he wanted to, so Ecru knew his pleas had nothing to do with the physical barrier between them. With a pained sigh, he waved his hand and pulled back the locks.
No point delaying the inevitable.
The door swung open, revealing Adam's muscular body shadowed against the dimmed bedroom lights. He leaned against the doorframe, watching Ecru with an unreadable expression.
"I really screwed this up, didn't I?"
Ecru grit his teeth as he closed his eyes. He hated how weak he felt. He often wondered how he had let the younger man have such a hold over him, but he knew he was too far gone now to do anything about it. He took a breath to steel his emotions and tried to speak without letting his voice waver.
"I suppose I forced you into it, so it is understandable. You obviously have more important things to think about, but I just never imagined we would get to the point where you would actually rather think of work than being with me."
"B, it's not...You don't understand-"
"Don't patronize me, Adam. At least be decent enough to tell me to my face. Am I not doing it for you anymore?"
"NO!"
Ecru winced and looked away. He could almost feel the tears at bay as he looked around the wrecked room for something to focus on. The state of the room seemed almost fitting, but it was nothing compared to how he felt inside.
This is it. This is really how it ends. Guess I should have seen it coming.
"I..." Adam mumbled. "I have no idea what I'm doing."
Ecru looked up with a surprised frown. The debris cleared out of Adam's path as he walked in and crouched in front of Ecru.
"Everyone's looking up to me," Adam said, "waiting for me to somehow fix this messed up situation we're in, and I'm completely clueless. There's so much at stake here, and I can't lead this team if I don't really know what I'm doing, but I can't afford to give up either. And if I don't figure this out soon, or if I make one single mistake, we could..."
Adam sighed dejectedly and Ecru stared for a moment, before looking up at the ceiling.
"I am such an idiot."
He felt Adam's hand on his shoulder and leaned into the touch instinctively. He couldn't help his shudder as warm fingers gently traced the familiar lines of his tattoos, going up towards his neck first before brushing down his arm until their fingers were interlaced.
"No," Adam said, squeezing his hand lightly. "I'm the idiot. I'm the one who keeps saying we're in this together and I didn't act like we were. And I'm really sorry, for tonight and for anything else I've done to make you feel like I'm pulling away."
Ecru raked him with an unamused leer. "You were reading my mind?"
"No," Adam said, smiling faintly. "Just felt what you were feeling." His eyes crinkled slightly as he chuckled. "If it's any consolation, I was actually trying to hold out for you when I zoned off. And you know how I get once my mind focuses on something. Before I knew it, I was formulating battle plans."
They were silent for a moment, before Ecru smirked.
"You called me 'B' earlier."
Adam's eyebrow rose. "We're alone, and I'm sure no one heard-"
Ecru cut him off with a deep kiss. Adam stiffened with surprise before he responded, and soon their movements became frantic as they fell to the tiled floor, tongues fighting for dominance. Ecru wrestled and pinned Adam down, then pulled away and look into his dilated green eyes.
"Right now, I really do not care who hears us."
)-(
Ecru leapt off the roof of the motel and landed quietly in the alley behind it. Fifteen minutes of waiting, and his good mood had gone sour. A Harley Davidson motorcycle was parked at one end of it, across the road from a bar where a group of prostitutes were bumming cigarettes. Ecru assumed the owner was in there, probably trying to get drunk or get laid. Or both. He straddled the seat and touched the keyhole with his finger. The ignition mechanism turned on, and he revved it a few times to check - and enjoy - the sound of the engine before he zoomed out into the street.
The joyride was shorter than he'd hoped, and the thrill fizzled away as he reached the Lawrence's residence. He parked a reasonable distance away and reluctantly walked towards the large two-storey Victorian-style house. He could feel the aura of the numerous protective and repulsion spells surrounding the perimeter. He debated whether or not to cross it as he inspected the grounds; he was on the family's permanent shit list, so it wouldn't be surprising if someone had added in a hex specifically to keep him out. Which was why he had picked a new rendezvous point in the first place.
"What the bloody hell you doing here?"
He looked up. The front door was open, and a blonde teenage girl stared down at him. He couldn't remember her name, but he knew that she was a McCall, which meant she already had a reasonable level of power. She was holding a mug which read 'I love Glasgow' and her face was shadowed by the porch lights, but he could still make out the hateful glare in her blue-green eyes. Ecru rolled his eyes. Sure, he'd tried to kill her a few months ago, but he imagined she'd be over that by now.
"Isn't it way past your bedtime?"
She narrowed her eyes, and the static charge in the air increased significantly. He shrugged.
"Where is Austin?"
"I thought he was with you. He left about an hour ago."
They stared at each other for a tense moment and then spoke at the same time.
"He's probably with Kurt."-"I am going to kill those stupid kids."
Her fingers clenched around the mug handle and her eyes were practically slits. Ecru cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Technically, I already killed him so... Bad joke, I suppose. Anyway, I shall look for him."
"I'm not letting you go alone."
Ecru scoffed. "Do you honestly believe I will-"
"Linus."
He felt a burst of energy beside him, immediately followed by a sonic boom and a strong gust of air. He lashed out automatically, and there was a blur in his peripheral vision before a male figure stopped a short distance away, close enough to be seen clearly, yet out of reach for any physical attacks. He was slightly taller than Ecru, with dirty-blond hair pulled into a short ponytail and his facial features were similar the girl standing by the door, but sharper and more masculine.
"Hello," he said with a cheeky smile. "It's been a while."
Ecru sucked on a tooth, but he couldn't deny he was impressed. Linus tilted his head to the side and folded his arms as he huffed.
"So...are we going to stand here all morning or..?"
"No," Ecru replied. "You are both going to bed like good little children, while I deal with what I came for."
"We're not giving you a choice," the girl said, sipping her tea.
"Actually we are," Linus said. "You can either try stopping me here and get into more trouble with my family - which includes Maureen, in case you forgot - or you can try outrunning me and see how that goes."
Ecru grit his teeth but turned with a flippant wave.
"Fine. Do what you want, but stay out of my way."
He took off before they could respond. While he had hoped to ride the Harley a little more, the shortest path to his destination involved a lot of off-road movements, which were much easier to do without the heavy motorcycle. He felt a surge of magical energy and turned to see Linus running beside him, his feet glowing white as he moved noiselessly. Ecru turned sharply into an alley His claws shot out and he gripped and bounded up the walls, flipped over the edge and landed on the roof of the building. He was surprised and a little annoyed to see Linus still beside him, and made sure to take the scenic route, performing more feats of acrobatics than necessary as he wove through the city to get to Kurt's apartment complex. An acrid metallic smell reached his nose as he approached the building, and he slowed to a stop immediately.
"What? Tired already?"
He glared at Linus, but held back his response as he looked around. There was something like blood on the walls, and droplets on the ground leading off. From the scent, it must have been freshly spilled, yet it looked so dark and dried up that it seemed almost like a mud stain. He approached it cautiously, confused by the conflicting features, until he touched it and recoiled at the sandy texture.
Vampire blood?
"What's that?" Linus asked impatiently.
Ecru ignored the boy and ran in the direction of the trail of droplets, his thoughts sifting through possibilities. The most likely scenario was that his teenage wards had fought each other, which was typical as they were both hot-headed, and the situation had gotten out of hand. But he couldn't dismiss the possibility that they were attacked by something else. If that was the case, then considering how well he had trained them, it meant the attacker had to be-
A newer, more enticing stench of blood sliced through his thoughts and he froze. The air was thick with it, along with the odour of something foul. His looked around quickly, seeking out any sort of movement. The street lights had been destroyed, but the weak moonlight was enough for him to make out the overfilled rubbish bins lining the graffiti covered walls in the alley. He spotted a shadow against the wall behind the bin. The figure shifted sluggishly and Ecru picked up the sound of laboured breathing.
"Who's there?"
He moved tentatively, and when he got closer, he picked out a familiar human scent through the swirl of stenches.
"Austin?"
He got a groaned response, but he recognized the voice and rushed forward. His predatory sight rendered everything in monochrome, but it was enough to make out the large splotches of blood covering the front of Austin's clothes. Ecru grabbed his shoulders, catching him before he slumped against the floor, and looked at him closely. His hair was matted, and his lips and chin were dark, caked over with dried blood. On his right cheek were deep depressions running from the corners of his mouth to below his ears, like something had been pressed against his face for a long time. His head lolled to the side, and Ecru held him by the chin and forced him to look into his eyes.
"Who did this?"
Austin's hazel eyes were glazed over, his pupils shifting. He mouthed something, and Ecru leaned in to listen.
"He...he fixed me."
Ecru frowned and recoiled in confusion. There was a shift from within the darkness of the alley, and he turned instantaneously and sent a bolt of condensed heat towards it. He listened for the sound of hit or some sort of reaction.
The silence was ominous.
"Ecru! Get-"
He barely registered Linus's warning before he felt a a shot of pain to his right arm. He hissed as he let go of Austin and inspected the damage. There was a tranquiliser dart embedded in his bicep, but instead of the expected numbness of paralysis, it felt like the entire limb was on fire. He quickly pulled it out and threw it away, but it did nothing to lessen the pain. The burning sensation reached his chest and seared around his heart. The heat spread quickly to through his body and he screamed as the pain seemed to reach into his bones. His knees buckled and he stumbled forward and held onto the dumpster to avoid hitting the ground. He heard Linus move behind him and expected the boy to attempt to give him some sort of assistance, but instead the teenager muttered under his breath.
"We're going to be at a disadvantage if we stay here."
"Indeed you are."
Ecru felt rather than saw the people on the roof, and a smug chuckle rang out in the darkness. His vision swam, and his muscles suddenly contracted painfully, pulling against his bones, forcing his jaw to clench until his teeth broke. His ribs snapped and he choked and tried to cough out, then bent over as his stomach forced out its contents into his closed mouth.
"Hurts like a bitch, doesn't it?" the smug voice said.
"What did you do to him?" Linus asked. His voice was unusually calm.
"I'd tell you, but I'm still trying to calculate how many you can feed. My boys are pretty hungry, you see..."
Ecru turned towards the voices, but even the slightest movement was excruciating. His jaw went slack, and he drooled a mix of blood and saliva as his limbs gave out and his collapsed into a soggy cardboard box filled with rotting food. Every breath was a fight against broken ribs, and the stench did nothing to help the situation, although lying on his side improved his choking, somewhat. His throat was beyond sore and his empty stomach churned as acid ate at its walls.
"What did you do to him?" Linus repeated
The voice snickered. "Wait for it...Three...two...one..."
A lancing pain shot through Ecru's chest and he screamed out, his back arching painfully. His fingers clenched and his limbs extended as his entire body jerked with painful spasms. His eyes burned, blood ran out of his nostrils and ears, and it felt like every tooth in his jaw was being extracted at the same time and every nerve was being torn out. A sinister laugh echoed, and he faded in and out of consciousness as his chest constricted, and he struggled to breathe through his fluid-filled nose. The agony went on for what felt like eternity, until the constriction eased and he felt another much feebler contraction start within his chest. It lasted barely a second, before he felt it again.
And again.
And again.
Is my heart...beating?
Ecru's eyes flew open.
Everything was blurred and doubled, but he could make out Linus standing in front of him defensively, facing several imposing figures with glowing red eyes. Ecru tried to move but could not find the strength to even turn his head. His feeble heartbeat felt strange; he was so used to hearing the sound outside his own body. Actually, everything felt strange. His hearing was less acute, his sight less distinct. He felt around his bloodied mouth. His teeth were mostly cracked and ached on contact, but four points were considerably less sharp. His eyes widened.
Impossible.
"Ah, there it is."
Ecru looked up. His vision had cleared somewhat, and he scanned the crowd around Linus again. The faces were hard to recognize, even more so in the darkness, but the cruel smirk on the one before him only belonged to one man. Or, as it were, vampire.
"I didn't want to miss the look on your shitty little face," Ivan hissed. "You thought you were better than me. Well, not anymore, Ecru. Or should I say...Bordeaux."
He paused for effect, as though he had outed some big secret. Ecru stared back flatly. If only Ivan knew how many times Adam had cried out that same name while they were-
"I never really understood the point of changing names," Ivan said, interrupting Ecru's train of inappropriate thoughts. "René said it marked your rebirth as vampire or some shit - I mean, René fucking means 'reborn'. And you...I guess because you looked pale, or felt bland or whatever, but 'Ecru'? Seriously? It's so fucking pretentious, wouldn't you agree, Kurt?"
He laughed derisively, and a few voices joined in, although not with the same enthusiasm. Ecru stared into the crowd but he couldn't make out Kurt's face among the red eyes. He wasn't entirely surprised that Ivan had won Kurt over. He'd never really trusted the boy, which was why he'd tried to keep a close eye on him. Now he wished he'd just killed the little fucker.
"Well, you're human again," Ivan said gleefully. "Although, considering the situation you're in, not for much longer."
"How..." Ecru croaked. "How did..?"
"No one said the 'vampire curse' was irreversible. It's just magic on a biological level, isn't it? And we have the greatest of researchers among us, so this was child's play. Best part is, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Did you honestly think we'd sit back and let your American friends steal all our hard work? We've got a lot more surprises in store. Too bad you won't live to see any of it."
Ivan stalked forward, and Linus shifted into an offensive stance, blocking him from Ecru's view.
"You have five seconds to back off," Linus said, "before this gets ugly."
"Look around you," Ivan replied, clearly amused. "One human, against seventeen vampires led by an Alti level mage. Oh, this will get ugly."
"Three...two...one."
Something bright shot down from the sky, and Ecru screamed silently as he was thrown against the dumpster by the shockwave and pelted with stones and dust. Confused voices and threatening growls came from around him, and he opened his eyes to see a glowing humanoid figure floating in a crater beside Linus - female, judging from the body shape and disposition. There was a blur of movement and Ivan appeared in front of her, claws outstretched and snarling. He hit an invisible barrier and hissed in frustration, before he jumped back and fired an intense energy beam in her direction. The blast hit and wrapped around her, showing the flickering outline of a sphere before being sucked into her body. Ivan lunged again and there was a sonic boom, and the windows of a building beside shattered as his body was hurled into it before Linus appeared in a burst in front of the glowing female, breathing heavily.
"You're lucky he talks so much or this would have been a lot harder," she said exasperatedly.
"How much you got?" Linus asked.
She moved her head as though looking around. "More than enough."
"What are you waiting for?!" Ivan growled as he emerged from the broken window. "Get them!"
The vampires swooped in, snarling viciously. Ecru almost screamed for the teenagers to move until he realised that their images had doubled. Then tripled. Then quadrupled. Until it seemed there was a small crowd of them standing idly, waiting to be pounced upon. The vampires were thrown into disarray, some lashing out at the wavering multiple images while others stopped and stared, unsure of whether to attack. Ecru would have laughed if he wasn't in so much pain. It was clear just how green and inexperienced these vampires were, probably a few days old, at most.
"You should cover your eyes now."
Linus' voice came from somewhere beside him but the boy himself was nowhere to be seen. Ecru squeezed his eyes shut just as he heard Ivan shout.
"Fall back! You idiots, get-"
There was a muffled boom, like an underwater explosion, and Ecru felt an intense heat as the back of his eyelids were lit bright red. Desperate screams filled the air for a few agonizing seconds before they died down to silence. The odour of burnt flesh filled his nose and he retched, but there was nothing left to throw up. His body shook with mild tremors and his muscles felt rubbery, but somehow, using the dumpster as support, he managed to stand. The alley was covered in ash with blackened crumbling bones scattered in a circle around a large charred area on the ground. A bird chirped and he looked up. The sky was dull blue, and getting brighter, and he took in a deep breath, listening to the surreal sound of his heart beating.
"Hey."
Linus's sister was beside him with arms akimbo. She was nude, but her body was obscured by a light disruption spell which made all the parts below her neck look like a misty blur. Her face was emotionless as she looked him over, and he eyed her warily.
"What?" he said after he grew uncomfortable.
"I still hate you."
"I know."
"I only did this for Adam."
"I figured."
"You stink."
"Well, obviously."
"Esther!"
She turned, and he followed her movement. Linus was crouched beside the dumpster, holding Austin in his arms and looking at them desolately.
"I...I think he's dead, Es."