A/N: Disclaimer in Chapter 1.

Silly question…have I made Ryan too evil? I'm going by his treatment of Erin in the last two episodes and his fierce loyalty with Ingrid because she was the one who created him.

Chapter 10: Resurrection

"What have you done?" Ingrid asked again. Her face was pure fury, her eyes darkened as she spoke not to the extent of Vlad's black abysses but it showed her displeasure all the same.

Erin didn't understand what was going on but for even Ingrid and Bertrand to be against it she knew it wasn't good.

The lights flickered as the electric current was drained from the school at a ferocious rate, being absorbed by the machine for the difficult task it had.

Vlad was still staring at the slab as the bone extended and grew into a hand, into an arm, into a shoulder…

Vlad held out his hand trying to stop the resurrection alchemy that was occurring in front of him, he formed a large ball of orange fire in he palm of his hand. He aimed it at the device, but nothing happened the bone was protecting the device.

He let out a roar and tried again, the rest of his family trying to assist him (including Bertrand) but nothing happened. It seemed to feed off the energy they were sending it instead – speeding up the resurrection process. Vlad held out his hand stopping them from doing anything further.

Bertrand stepped back his hands dropping to his sides, Ingrid copied his actions moving closer towards Bertrand subconsciously. The Count looked at his son and Vlad gave a quick shrug. Vlad knew he should have been able to stop it if it were any other thing being resurrected but this was Sethius, he was the rival to Vlad's power.

His head snapped towards Ryan his fangs tingling as he fought with them not to lower. Vlad could sense his father wanting to bite Ryan to teach him a lesson.

Ryan couldn't understand why his mistress was so upset. "I've given you the power of the bone – just like you wanted."

"YOU IDIOT!" She roared at him, Ryan knew he'd done wrong then. He hadn't thought this through properly. She raised her hand a fireball forming, fully prepared to turn the elder Noble into dust. Ryan had never seen her so angry.

"INGRID!" The Count yelled at his daughter, his disapproval in his tone. Ingrid's attention sidetracked and the fireball disappeared into this air. Ryan looked relieved.

Ingrid turned to Vlad, "I didn't want him resurrected. We just wanted to learn how to tap into the power."

After all the clenched fingers had released power into Vlad when he encountered the book the first time, if they could work out how to do it again and absorb that power they would be a more formidable ally or enemy to Vlad.

"*WE*?" Vlad asked even though he knew the answer, Ingrid shared a small glance with Bertrand, "You and Bertrand." He spat, "Congratulations Ingrid, look where your thirst for power's got you this time!"

"This isn't my fault!"

The Count shook his head as he gestured towards Ryan, "He is loyal to you. He did this therefore its your fault."

Ingrid's arms dropped from over her chest, "That's not fair!" Her voice was defensive.

"Unlife isn't fair!" Vlad told her sternly. He knew that better than anyone, if it was he wouldn't be stuck with being the most powerful vampire in existence and future leader of their kind in a life he never wanted in the first place.

Vlad wasn't going to forgive this easily; she knew she shouldn't have listened to Bertrand. Bertrand, she felt connected to him somehow. He was just as scheming as her, he knew exactly what to say to promote loyalty and he didn't mince his words. She enjoyed having him as an ally rather than an enemy.

Bertrand remained quiet trying to figure out how to respond to Vlad's anger. The young vampire's face had grown darker with every passing moment as he fought to keep himself under control. While he wanted the power in the bone he hadn't wanted Sethius resurrected, he was a madman.

"We need to deal with this now." Bertrand told him, "Sethius needs to be destroyed."

Vlad nodded in agreement, at least that was one thing they all could agree on. They couldn't do it by vampiric means but there was something else they could do. Vlad held his hand out to Erin and she understood what he means, she lifted her shirt slightly gasping as the cool air hit her back making it goose bump.

She'd just grasped the hilt when Ryan spoke softly, "You're too late."

YEKNODELTTILYEKNODELTTIL

They all looked at the table in the centre of the room, each with a look of complete fear and dread on their faces. Vlad's eyes turned red before turning black, then returning to normal as he pushed Erin behind him.

The Count moved next to him, helping him shield Erin somewhat from the resurrected lunatic.

The baldhead of Sethius was still covered in blood-ink tattoos of ancient Aramaic from the pages that made up his prison.

A loud, pleasurable gasp was heard as Sethius moved his head around in a circle, his neck cricking as the bone seated themselves correctly. He stood and stretched grasping for the clean lab coat Ryan had left for him.

Sethius wrapped it around him tightly before turning to face the vampires responsible for restoring him.

He looked at the six people gathered in front of him, a smile coming to his lips, "Regretted it then?"

YEKNODELTTILYEKNODELTTIL

Ryan moved towards Ingrid, trying to shield her but Bertrand pushed him out of the way, instead shielding her himself. Ingrid was surprised at Bertrand's gallantry; she gently placed a hand on his back silently communicating her thanks. She wasn't usually one for being protected but she didn't seem to mind that Bertrand wanted to.

"It was an accident." Bertrand told him.

Sethius didn't respond to Bertrand's admittance. "I'm grateful, although what happened to 'majesty' and 'highness'?" Bertrand suppressed a shudder at being reminded of his boot licking.

Sethius moved his gaze towards the young vampire who'd challenged him. He extended a hand towards Vlad, "As for you I haven't forgotten that you tried to betray your master."

"Vladimir is the leader of the vampire kind." Erin spoke from behind Vlad.

Sethius laughed, "A nation can't have two leaders!"

"I'm the only leader." Vlad told him fiercely, for the first time stepping into his role. "I'm the Grand High Vampire and Chosen One."

Sethius pulled a patronising face, "You're not yet 18. That makes me the rightful heir. I am the true Chosen One." They'd hoped he hadn't noticed how old Vlad was.

Vlad shook his head, his arms folding across his chest, "The clans support me." He confronted Sethius.

Sethius seemed to be enjoying this little verbal fight; no one had dared challenge him this way for thousands of years. Usually they all backed down in fear. The young vampire had spirit he would make a good ally or a pile of ash, whichever Vlad preferred.

Sethius looked behind Vlad, he laughed at the sight of the slayer girl being shielded behind him.

Erin must be a special slayer if the most powerful vampire of this century was willing to protect her, he'd been the same last time he remembered clearly. This Vladimir had protected her from the others.

He extended his index finger, a smile on his face as he looked at her, "I haven't forgotten, you were going to be my first meal. Offered by your intended here." He paused, "Or is it boyfriend in this century?"

Erin didn't comment she gave Vlad a curious look seeing the way Vlad's face was fiercely protective of her.

"You won't touch her."

"Or what? You'll kill me?" Sethius tipped his head back and laughed manically before glaring at the young vampire in front of him, "You can't kill Sethius."

"I did it before."

Sethius gestured to the device behind him, "But I came back. Thanks to…" He extended his finger in the direction of the half fang/former slayer, "Him."

Sethius threw a welcoming look towards Ryan while Vlad and the others shot him a disgusted look. Vlad would have turned him to ash if it were not for the fact he was Erin's brother, although she looked as if she were one false move away from doing it herself.

Sethius quickly shot out a hand towards Vlad causing a fierce wind to flow towards them, Vlad flicked his hand and while the other's grimaced clutching their stomach he and Erin remained perfectly fine.

Sethius smiled as Vlad's jaw clenched in anger. Anger made you sloppy. He wanted Vlad to retaliate so he could measure his power.

Vlad couldn't let what Sethius had just tried to do slide, if he hadn't stopped it Erin would have been thrown backwards and severely injured when she hit the jagged stonewall.

Vlad lifted his hand to teach Sethius a lesson but he felt Erin's hand grasp his shoulder. He froze turning to look at her, Erin shook her head. Vlad nodded he knew what she meant – there was a time and place. If Sethius saw his level of power know he would know how to respond to it, it was better if Vlad surprised him.

Sethius seemed amused at the effect the slayer was having on Vlad.

Sethius looked at Erin, his finger coming up to his lips as if in deep thought. "Maybe I won't drain her."

Vlad didn't like the pondering tone; he felt Erin's fingers dig into his sides.

Erin shuddered as Sethius looked at her, she was convinced he was trying to understand her loyalty to Vlad and Vlad's protectiveness towards her. Vampires protecting breathers and/or slayers were uncommon, in fact Vlad probably had to be the first.

Vlad's fangs lowered, his voice deepening dramatically. It boomed off the walls, causing dust to fall and the building to shake. "She's mine. I'll always protect her."

The lunatic seemed to back down slightly at Vlad's tone, but he'd found the weak spot in Vlad's armour.

YEKNODELTTILYEKNODELTTTIL

The maniac looked around at the vampires, "I'm hurt at your lack of devotion to me this time."

"I stand with my leader." Ingrid told him, moving towards her brother. Bertrand mimicked her actions. The Count didn't move from his son's side. Vlad didn't waver his gaze for a fraction of a second.

"You won't be able to defeat Sethius!" He laughed. It was unnerving how he talked about himself in the third person and how sure of himself he was. "The future of our world will be anarchy, and you won't be able to stop it with your small gang."

Vlad stepped closer to Sethius despite his family's protests. "Our future is peace."

Sethius turned away laughing at the young vampire, before his face-hardened. "You won't last five minutes against me."

Vlad smiled at him, an action Sethius didn't expect. "Maybe, maybe not."

"With you against me the chaos has already begun." He cried gleefully. Vlad shot a look towards his family, he hadn't expected that answer and he didn't think of it in those terms.

As he looked back Sethius was gone, instead all that lingered was the madman's voice echoing around the room. "I'll see you at the finish line, Weak One."

He should have known Sethius wouldn't want to hang around their home after last time, they were too advanced and with Renfield on their side they were a threat to his safety.

Vlad cursed, he spun towards Ryan who Ingrid had already grabbed around the throat and shoved up against the wall. She was the only person that could discipline her minion effectively, he wouldn't listen to any other vampire.

"What are we going to do Vlad?" Erin asked as she came to stand next to him. Vlad wrapped an arm around her waist, no longer afraid to show affection around her in front of his family. This might be one of the last chances anyway.

He placed a kiss to her temple, "I'll think of something."

He didn't sound confident though.

TBC

A/N: Please let me know what you think.

The device is from the episode 'Dad's back' from Season 2, I assumed no vampire home would be without one.

Thanks for reading.