Well, the long awaited Dante POV chap. I enjoyed writing from his complicated POV. I don't even think I got his character out. I just really wanted to show that he's done things that are out of the ordinary for him and that he's actually feeling fear about life and that he's facing himself and his future, as well as trying to do his best to make sure that everyone he cares for lives. Dante's really complicated in my story and I hope I did my best to capture him.


Chapter Six: Frozen With Fear

Dante

Water.

Rain came drizzling down on me as I drove my bike to nowhere in particular. Alright, I'm lying to myself, I needed to go see Metz again.

I accelerated the bike and heard the engine give a louder roar as I sped down once quiet streets.

It had been almost three weeks since I had the last…hunger. Three weeks. Earlier that month, after Kevin had saved me up on Dracul's Fortress, the hunger hit me almost every hour and I had to isolate myself from people unless I wanted blood on my hands. Then a week later it only became days and three weeks ago the last of the hunger had evaporated only to return now.

Why? My mind yelled.

And around Sophie and Lok, too. I had nearly snapped. Nearly lost control and unleashed the dark magic I had learned.

"Dante, you open those books you are slowly killing yourself!" Metz had warned me. He pleaded with me, but I wouldn't listen. "There is no evil in you, Dante, but that which is in all human beings. Those books will augment the dormant beast that lies in you and he will take over you, turning what you've become- a great agent who serves the greater good- and turn you into the most evil servant the Foundation will ever have to face."

"I'll be dead before that happens." I replied, thinking that I would go down taking the Organization with me before I myself fell, but now, as I felt dark intentions pollute my sense, I knew it wouldn't be long before my fall.

"And if you don't die. Who will kill you? Do you your charges to or your friends?! They look up to. You are someone important to them- How would they bring themselves to kill you?!" Metz asked his voice raised, the first time in a long time. "I would not even stop you."

I had read the books anyways- opening my mind to what I knew Rassimov had knowledge of. A vortex of death. Black smothering mist. Creating a plague targeting key people. I knew it now and I've used some of these powers.

The familiar house where Metz was living came into view and I pulled into the driveway. Lady Ess opened the door and I nodded to her. She was silent and cold and closed the door behind me.

"Metz is waiting." she said quietly as she walked down the hall towards the kitchen.

I noticed she was depressed lately, but out of everyone she would be the one most terribly affected. The whole Foundation knew that the curse's expiration date on a person's life was only so long and that Metz had long passed the date of which the curse could be removed without resulting in his death. Now, Metz only had weeks to live before-

I cast the thought line out of my head as I ran up the stairs taking them two at a time.

Metz room was the last one at the end of the hall after an entertainment room which had been turned into a meeting room. The door was open and as son as I entered, I was met with slate gray eyes that were dulling with time.

"Metz-" I started as I took a step forward.

His all knowing eyes looked dejected and disappointed. "Dante, it's happening already. You are falling."

I looked out the window to see that there was a coming storm. The clouds were dark and foreboding, almost warning me of something else. But I ignored it and nodded. The scars on my face, one from my battle with the Professor, the other a souvenir from Zhalia both stung as if they were opened and unhealed, but I was used to the pain. There was a dull pain in my chest and I massaged it with my right hand. The gesture didn't go unmissed by Metz.

"How long has the pain gone on?" he asked.

"The past week." I answered as I walked over to the window.

"And the hunger?"

"I almost snapped on Sophie." I answered and watched as his eyes widened.

"Dante, you-" Metz started when I threw him a glare.

"I know what's going to happen." I snapped, "After I get the group together, I'm making a plan to storm the Prague castle. I'll see what I can do about the Blood Spiral and-"

"Dante!" Metz yelled and caught my attention. I turned, shocked to the elder Seeker. I waited for him to continue which he did, "My time is drawing to a close. I have but days now."

"What?" I asked as I approached his bedside and knelt by him, "I can use-"

"You think I am so selfish as to allow my charge to immerse himself deeper into the Nullifier's path on my behalf?" Metz asked, almost affronted by my offer. I tried hard not to defend myself. "Dante, Casterwill's strength, his magic and knowledge that he passed on to the Huntik Foundation, is allowing me to know of when such disturbances in the scales between the Nullifiers and the Seekers of Light occur.

"Your turning into one of the most powerful Nullifiers this world has ever seen is tipping the scales at such a rate that the Dark will surely win if you are not…" Metz paused, but I understood and I finished the sentence for him.

"If I'm not dead before I turn into one of them." I whispered as Metz placed his hand over mine.

"There is always a way." Metz told me. "Now, I've heard some disturbing news that you rescued Miss Moon when you stormed the lab in Vienna. May I inquire as to why you saved her?"

"I promised her I would." I answered, all of a sudden getting uncomfortable with the change of topic. I found it a little unnerving how Metz could change topics as if the others, my falling, his imminent death, and the possible future were no big incidents. But it was Metz and I had learned as a boy to get used to such changes in a conversation with him.

"This wouldn't have anything to do with your feelings for her, would it?" Metz asked with a wry grin on his weathered face.

I smiled as I shook my head, "Definitely not. My feelings for her have changed. She may have spared me on the fortress roof, but she left me for dead."

"Yet, you feel the urge to protect her now more than ever?"

I sighed, my shoulders dropping. "I-"

Suddenly, my cell phone rang and I picked up.

"Vale." I said.

"Dante?!" Kevin asked on the other side. "Listen, we need to summon a meeting at HQ. The whole team. Scouts have reported that former Seekers are being abducted and are turning up all over Europe without any memories. Someone's after the Foundation and they're going-" That news made my hand clench and the cell phone would have to be replaced…again, but I eased off my anger and focused on what I needed to do.

"Have Scarlet assemble a team and send Seekers to former residences and get these people out of there. Be subtle, Kevin. And get all others not assembled to meet in the Council Room tomorrow afternoon." I ordered. "I'll brief Scarlet on the meeting after."

Kevin confirmed the time and meeting before hanging up. I turned to Metz with a smile. I needed to get back to my team. He read the message in my eyes.

"I'll be seeing you tomorrow then." Metz said with a smile as I said goodbye and left giving a wave to Lady Ess who just nodded in my direction.

I reached the house and was surprised to find that the rain clouds over head hadn't emptied all over the city. When I opened the door, Lok and Sophie broke apart as if-

"I hope I wasn't-" I started when I realized I was talking to a couple of teenagers who were pretty close, "Scratch that." I muttered praying that I had stopped something before it went too far.

I looked at the pile of books that lay on the floor.

"Sophie." I whispered as I picked up the books and placed them on the shelves. What used to be heavy tomes felt like feathers though the shelve quaked when I placed all of them on the shelves.

Lok and Sophie stared at me with powerful, guilt provoking stares.

"What?" I asked them with a shrug.

"We know that you used the tomes to gain the power to save us." Lok said.

I knew now and let out a resigned breath. "Not only you two. But everyone."

It was time to tell them everything. About everything that's happened the past month. About Metz and the Professor. About the Legendary Titans. About my impending fate.

"I think you two better sit down." I said.

They listened and I told them.

***

"Kevin found me on the fortress rooftop." I started.

"Kevin?" Lok and Sophie interrupted.

"You met him in Vienna. He's third in ranking in the Foundation. Now, no questions until after." I said and saw Lok about to open his mouth to ask another question but I stopped him with a hard stare. "Now, he brought me back to Venice telling me that he saw the Organization carry the two of you out, but he was one man compared to a troop of pumped up Suits and two Organization higher ups. He saw the battle on the roof and went up to see if I somehow survived and was left for dead. I was.

"Soon, the Organization spread the news that Zhalia had killed me. Most of the Seekers in the Foundation believed me to be MIA recovering from a near fatal fight. That was partly true, but that was when I was trying to come up with a plan to save the Foundation in Europe and save you two. I recruited Kevin and a close friend of mine, Ian Scott. Ian gathered intel that our Seekers were falling, and that the chain of command was starting to collapse.

"I acted out on priority while Kevin and Ian tried to get everyone else to move to the US temporarily. I evacuated the Council and brought Metz here to Skylark. This is also called Haven City."

Sophie gasped in recognition of the name, but I continued.

"I recruited others really late in the month. In fact, only two weeks ago. After I had your mother and sister, Lok, evacuated from their home, I recruited Scarlet's team and then found Montehue. But we were too late to help him and Tersely was caught.

"News reached us that the Professor was heading to Turkey to get the Legendary Titan of Body, Behemoth. We couldn't beat him and by the way he cut a bloody path to the Amazon base, I realized that I needed to transport the Amazons away. Kevin, Ian, and I defended the Amazon tribe, but when Hippolyta was killed the Amazons started to flee or surrender. I ordered Ian to take them to plane and wait for us. Kevin held off the Suits while I went against the Professor."

Lok and Sophie stared at me with incredulous eyes.

"I had already read what was in the books and the battle was…fierce. I-"

I paused, hesitated. Would they hate me if I told them?

"I killed him in the duel, but somehow in a last act for the Organization, he teleported away the rings of Behemoth and Araknos. Kevin and I wiped the memories of the Suits before leaving with Ian and whatever remained of the Amazon tribe. They decided to become a sect of the Foundation that would teach the next generation in the ways of the Amazon, if any wished to learn."

I stopped because this was where it got hard.

"Two weeks ago. I learned that Metz had passed a date. That the curse could no longer be removed and that he was bound to the spirit world because of it. He can't lead the Council anymore- and two weeks ago…he- I-" I hesitated and chose careful words, "He gave me the leadership of the Foundation."

If those kids' eyes could get any wider, they would have popped out of their skulls.

"So, you're-" Lok started when Sophie elbowed him in the gut. "Sorry, go on."

I struggled not to smile, but failed.

"Eventually, one of our spies within Organization ranks gave us some intel that you and Tersely and many important Seekers were being held in the compound in Vienna. He was even able to tell me that it was Klaus's base and that there Zhalia, Rassimov, and maybe even the Legendary Titan, Behemoth, might be.

"It was only three days ago that I created the plan to storm the complex and get everything. You didn't get to meet Ian because the two of you were out cold by the time we reached the plane, but Ian was the pilot. We saved everyone, but were unable to recover Behemoth. And now- now we're here."

Lok and Sophie exchanged glances. Sophie was the first to speak.

"So, technically, you're the leader of the Council and the Foundation?" she asked.

I shook my head. "As long as Metz still breathes, he leads the Council, but as for the forces that are countering the Organization, they are under my rule. I still defer to Metz, of course. But- but when he- dies…I'll-"

The two just nodded in comprehension thankfully keeping me from continuing on the subject.

"And your self?" Lok asked.

It was then that I realized I had left out the information about myself.

"Everyone tried hard to prevent me from reading the tomes, but I did. If I don't die before I turn, then you'll have to kill me." The words slipped off my tongue easily. I had no trouble talking about my death, but from the expression on Sophie's face and the shock on Lok's, I knew it was troublesome for them. "Listen, I'm not planning to stick around to destroy the world." I assured them, "I'm taking Rassimov and whoever he's in league with before I-"

"And what if you don't?" It was Lok who asked.

"Let's not discuss that now." I said, finally feeling uneasy about the topic. "Listen, there's going to be a meeting tomorrow. Our dormant, former, wiped agents are being attacked in Europe. The Organization is looking for us."

"Why?" Sophie asked, "I remember that the Organization stopped after they raided my home. They said that Foundation moved to the US and they'd be coming here next."

"They think former agents might have dormant information in their heads." I answered.

"About?" Lok asked.

"Where we are." I said.

"Because of-" Lok started waiting for me to fill in the blank.

"Because of Zhalia, isn't it?!" Sophie burst out when she saw my eyes wander to the stairs.

I sighed as I walked to the stairs. "You wouldn't understand."

As I started up the stairs I started wonder if they would. But then I thought of things between Zhalia and me. Kevin and Ian thought that she was, in their words, hot, but that I hated her. Yet they all suspected that I had feelings for her. I didn't even understand how people could think that I had affectionate feelings for her and yet, that the same time, I hated her.

The truth was, that I didn't hate her. I- I'm actually too scared to admit it to myself. And sometimes I'd laugh when I found myself scared at this. I'd faced death against the Professor and yet, I'm scared. Scared stiff. As I reached out for the doorknob to her room, I realized that if the topic of my feelings were ever opened in her presence I'd be frozen with fear.


Yeah, he's dealing with what's expected of him as well as what everyone thinks of him. And let's not forget his emotions concerning his charges and Zhalia. I'm thinking about the next chapter going to Zhalia. But you've got to give me some time since APs and Honors are catching up to me.

-Phoenix