With a cry, Alexander swiped the messy stacks of paper from his desk. Dead. The whole troupe. With a growl the scientist flipped his wooden desk over.
"How can they be dead?!" The mad scientist cried, "twenty of your best!" The general blinked at the finger that was thrusted into his face. "Dead! And the boy gone!" The general blinked again as he slowly put out his cigar. "This is your fault." The mad scientist gasped as he leaned closer to the general who didn't bat an eye.
"Mr. Whitman." The elder intoned gently. "Please remove your finger from my face. Unless you want to see it gone." The scientist scoffed, "if you do anything to me-" the generals hand whipped out and a crack sounded, cutting Alexander's rebuttal off. "I'm sorry I didn't quite catch that." The elder man chuckled, as he bent the scientists finger further back, "Surely my old age must be catching up with me." The scientist felt a burning pain shoot up his arm starting from the grotesque sight of his index finger bent like a backwards 'L'.
'Would you care to repeat yourself, Whitman?"
The general was smiling resembling a little old grandpa.
Too shocked to speak, Alexander shook his head, "That's right." The general murmured as he stood, slightly bent in his old age, but no less the dignified leader who stood tall as American reigned supreme in her second civil war. The elder offered a kind smile. "You will do well to remember your place. Whitman. You don't order me or my soldiers." He hobbled to the door, supported by a Cain. Alexander Whitman knew that the Cain was just a ruse for others to underestimate the old man. "summon me like one of your mindless lackies again, and it will be the last time you are heard from." The general threatened in gentle tones that left the scientist shaking. "The boy is lost to you." Alexander shook his head, "that failure. Is your own, Whitman." The general intoned, "my men are the best in the known world. If they failed, it's because You didn't prepare them for your Inadequacy, Whitman." With those parting words, the general left the mad scientist office.
***
"Are you sure this is what you want to do?"
Axel held Kains gaze with molten eyes. Lost in a world of their own, the two males were slowly drawn together resembling two ends of fabric that are drawn together by a string.
"Trust me. You'll be just fine." Axel soothed as he nudged the golden eyed boys head to the left. "W-will it hurt?"
"I'll do my best to make it painless." Axel whispered, leaving goosebumps on the exposed skin of kains neck. Axel grinned as he watched the boy before him shiver, "You can back out you know…" The vampire offered. Kain shook his head with determination, "it just feels…" he paused, unsure of how to continue. Axel nodded In understanding, "You know what they say about vampires?" The silver eyed murmured as he caught Kains golden gaze. "It is our people who are the embodiment of the word 'lust'."
"lust?"
"Kāmam." Axel supplied.
Kain turned tomato red. The young man stiffly turned around and left the sitting area. Axel chuckled under his breath as he returned to the file that he was reading.
"You shouldn't tease like that." Atoli scolded, "you know you need to feed… especially since-"
"I'm fine." Axel snapped, clutching at his stomach. "I will be fine." He promised in gentler tones. Atoli bit her bottom lip. "Axel-"
"Atoli." He countered, "I'm okay." Axel murmured, "I promise…"
Atoli wasn't assured, she knelt at her brothers in laws side and took his hand in hers. "At least tell Ang-" "no." Axel snapped, pulling his hand away. "You may be in love with my brother…" Axel whispered, "but I will forever know him better than you…" Atoli sagged in defeat, "to tell him would mean that she goes…" Axel murmured, "and where she goes… I go." He declared.
"But, what about-"
"Don't fret." Axel assured. Atoli bit her bottom lip, torn between Axel and Angalos demands.
"Is the sorcerer your only choice?" Axel shrugged, "No." He shook his head and stood, "I am sorry to burden you with this-" Atoli tilted her head and offered an assuring smile as Tyler slowly came through the open door way.
"I-is Mika okay?" he asked slowly. Axel nodded, "I believe she's frolicking with Myriah in the garden."
Tyler nodded slowly.
"C-can you tell me...what h-happened to my parents?" Axel froze. The memory returning to him full force.
A heavy silence fell between the two men. Atoli looked between them and gently slipped from the room.
"Come. Have a seat, Tyler." Axel sighed as he gestured to the chair perpendicular to the chair he was leaning against. Tyler slowly sat in the offered chair as Atoli returned with A tray in her hands. She gently placed it on the table in front of Tyler.
"I want you to know that your parents love you very much." Axel started. Tyler felt a lump in his throat as ice started to wrap around his heart.
"Are they-" his breath hitched.
"did-" Axel shivered as Tyler tried to ask only to pause as his voice cracked. "Will they-"
Axel closed his eyes when they became heavy with tears, "I'm afraid your parents... could not be saved, Tyler." the boy froze, blue eyes wide, mouth gaping. "I am sorry for your loss." Axel whispered, not trusting his own voice.
Angelo and Atoli stood just outside of the room. 'Axel is normally detached when delivering devastating news....' Angelo observed his younger brother who was facing away from the shell shocked boy, eyes closed as if fighting tears.
'Just what are you doing to my brother, Myriah Whitman.?'
***
Alexander found himself before the tank again, watching his men experiment on the blonde beauty. Since the incident two weeks ago, she's been docile. 'As if shes in hibernation as most of these creatures have done for one reason or another in the past.'
He narrowed his eyes. The video from that night is gone. As if it never happened. 'How is that possible?'
Part of him wondered if it was connected to the boy and Myriah.
~"You are bold in your presumptions that you have any type of power here." Ryan's drawled as he sipped from his glass of whiskey. Alexander Whitman eyed the model of a man with distain. This man always seemed to know what he was doing before he came up with the decision himself. "I would never-"
"save it." Ryan's snapped as he brought his glass down with a loud 'Clack' that made Alexander Whitman jump. Ryan's watched the scientist try and fail to compose himself.
"I could care less about you or your intentions." Ryan's murmured as he stepped toward the mad scientist. "You're nothing more than a speck of dirt beneath my shoe." The blonde man angled his chin so he was looking down at the scientist. "Order your men to keep secrets from me again..." Ryan's drew in so that he was a breath away from Alexanders ear, "And I will personally see to your imprisonment and torment." Alexander let a squeak escape his trembling lips. "Do we understand one another, Whitman?" ~