Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Alexander Corvinus showed up shortly after dawn. He was accompanied by four men and a woman who were all dressed in camouflage and carrying weapons. Marcus hadn't returned to everyone's relief and the vampires couldn't go out in the day so it was the Lycans including Michael who went out to meet them. Singe had been roused from a deep sleep to join them and now he had to fight the urge to yawn and blink too much in the early light.
It had rained for most of the night after they'd returned to Tanis's fortress. The air smelled fresh and clean and there were still a few puddles in the parking lot where Corvinus and his soldiers emerged from a large black van. For a moment, the two groups faced each other with the soldiers stone-faced and the larger group of Lycans wary and on edge. Then Lucian smiled and nodded.
"It's good of you to come, Corvinus. Would you care to join us inside? We have coffee available if you like."
"Are my men allowed to bring in their weapons?" Corvinus seemed stiff and there was a smell of uncertainty about him unlike last night.
"Of course. I understand that you feel the need to protect yourselves. However, if any of them shoot any of us without a very compelling reason, you understand there will be consequences?"
"They're trained professionals not trigger-happy amateurs. There will be no violence unless your people start it."
"Now that we understand each other, do come in. I'd prefer not to worry about who might see us conversing out here. The Bloods are very resourceful sometimes. Marcus is not here if that is your concern."
Corvinus relaxed a fraction so apparently that had been a worry to him. If anyone started a fight, it would undoubtedly be Marcus. Lucian had ordered the Lycans to be on their best behavior and none of them would dare disobey him. None of the vampires had any reason to provoke a fight and Michael still preferred peaceful dialogue even when his animal instincts urged him to violence.
Hopefully, Corvinus and his soldiers had no reason to want an argument so Marcus was the only possible source of contention. The humans followed Lucian and the others to the large meeting room on the second floor. The soldiers were obviously surveying their surroundings as they walked through the stone corridors but none of them said anything or broke the protective formation they had formed around their leader.
Tanis, Selene and Erika were waiting at the far end of the table. The blonde vampire was only allowed because she would be going with them and needed to know what was going on but it had been made clear to her that her actual participation was neither wanted nor desired. She seemed happy to be involved at all.
Corvinus and his men sat at one end of the table and the vampires and Lycans sat at the other. It was long enough that there were a few empty seats between them. Singe, seated just to the left of Lucian with Raze on his other side, kept an eye on the door to the rooftop. It would be just like Marcus to return at the worst possible time and disrupt the negotiations.
"I'm glad you came, Corvinus."
"Did you doubt me? I said I would help and here I am."
"It's always gratifying to meet a man of his word. Let me make quick introductions." Lucian gave a quick run down of everyone in the room for the benefit of their guests. Corvinus seemed to know who most of them were anyway but his soldiers needed to know where everyone stood in the little hierarchy of Lucian's followers.
Corvinus introduced the soldiers only by their last names. The four men were Miller, Ruiz, Jablonski, and Timlin while the woman was Kruschev. All five stood blank-faced and silent. Corvinus stated that Jablonski was a medical doctor and would help in the study of William. Singe studied the man for a moment. He was middle-aged for a human, lean, dark-haired, and wearing glasses. He doubted the human would be all that useful but he supposed he could use an assistant.
"Formality aside, Lucian, I am fully prepared to help out in any way I can but I expect you to keep Marcus in check. He certainly won't listen to me but he seems to respect you for some reason."
"I don't believe he respects me entirely. I'm simply a means to an end for him as is anyone else who might help him with William. I'll do my best to keep him calm but he's not a dog on a leash. I can only persuade him to behave not force him into tolerating you."
"That will have to suffice. Now, just how many of your men will be coming with us? I assume you'll leave some behind to guard this place."
"Myself, Raze, Singe, Selene, Michael, Anton, Henryk, Karl, Erika, and another Lycan who will be arriving shortly. Dmitri, Bela, and Stanislaus will stay behind with Tanis. Is that acceptable?"
Their guest raised an eyebrow at the mystery of that last person listed but he clearly considered it impolite to question Lucian right now so he merely nodded. Singe wondered who was coming here. He'd heard nothing of any arriving Lycan but it was probably connected to Isadore's mysterious phone call from last night.
It occurred to Singe that Alexander Corvinus could be as single-minded as his son. He had been so bent on staying neutral all this time and now that he had an opportunity to do something concrete, he was willing to use all of his resources to get the job done.
"That's fine. I have three helicopters fueled and ready to go whenever you are. We'll be bringing in whatever scientific and medical supplies your doctor might need for his studies. I'd like to get this under way by tonight if possible."
"And what about Marcus? Shall we wait for him or do you expect that he'll meet us there?"
"I sent two of my men on a reconnaissance mission in the area and they reported seeing a large, flying creature over the prison. If Marcus returns here, you can fill him in on whatever plans we make but I think it's more likely that he will stay there until we arrive. Their survey also found that landslides have obliterated any approach by land. Flying is the only way in or out of the site."
Which meant once they reached the site, they would be dependent on Corvinus's helicopters. Karl could fly one if needed but if Corvinus ordered his men to leave with them after they were dropped off, then they would be in trouble. It was also possible that Lycans and vampires could make it out on foot as they could navigate harsh terrain better than any human but it sounded like it would be rough going.
"Did the prison look damaged in any way?" Selene asked. Alexander shook his head.
"It looked intact from the air although it's possible there may be damage in some of the lower levels. Your father's skills as a builder were most impressive."
The vampire grimaced slightly at the mention of her father. Doubtless, she would unlock and experience new memories by walking the halls of the prison where she had played as a child and that would only add to the pain of her past. But she probably wanted those memories back as well in order to feel complete.
Singe was excited at the idea that Corvinus would supply him with lab equipment. It would probably be state-of-the-art and in mint condition unlike the mismatched surplus he'd managed to acquire over the years. It would be too dangerous for any of the Lycans to try and steal from most human labs. The Bloods often had a hand in research facilities and they would investigate any theft very thoroughly.
Besides that, if they were ever discovered and forced to flee there might not be time for Singe to take some of the larger pieces of equipment with him. It wouldn't be too suspicious if the Bloods had found an old centrifuge or test tubes. They could be explained away as medical equipment. But anything more sophisticated might have been more telling. They couldn't allow the vampires to even guess at what he was doing. So he'd endured with his old equipment and never bothered to think too much about all the modern technology available in the human world.
"That's good news. If the walls are intact throughout, then it shouldn't be any problem to locate William. The problem will be afterward. It may take far longer to find a cure than Marcus will allow. It would be just like him to free his brother and let him run loose if he becomes impatient enough. I propose we each keep guards on William at all times and not let Marcus too near to him."
"I was going to suggest the very same thing. In addition, I have resources that you may be unaware of." Corvinus removed a small metal container from his pocket and placed it on the table. It looked like tear gas and indeed there was a slight hint of an unfamiliar odor that made every non-human in the room grimace.
"This is something my scientists developed. It will render a Lycan or vampire unconscious for up to two hours. It may not last as long on William as he's quite powerful but it should allow Singe to take his samples safely. It's drawback is that it lingers in the air for several minutes so time will be a factor but it should suffice.
Also, we've developed a sedative that works long-term on Lycans although it has less effect on vampires. It would probably be best if we keep my son as docile as possible. Even with guards and weapons, he will be difficult to contain."
Lucian remained unruffled but Singe found himself both fascinated and afraid. Through trial and error, he'd been able to develop the elixir that prevented the Change. But it was hard to find any drugs that affected most Lycans or Bloods for very long. Their metabolisms burned through sedatives and painkillers far too quickly and enormous doses, enough to kill multiple humans, were required to have any useful effect.
The fact that Corvinus had these drugs available to him suggested that he could have taken down the Lycans and vampires if he wanted to at any time. All he needed was their major locations and he could take them out easily. Humans vastly outnumbered both groups of immortals and if they ever found out about them and attacked, it was likely the humans would prevail in the end. On the other hand, the fact that he was disclosing this to all of them was a good indicator that he was sincere in his efforts to help. He was sure that Lucian would take precautions against any treachery but it was starting to feel more and more as if this alliance would actually work.
"I'm glad to see that you have this all planned out, Corvinus. We shall leave tonight as long as my guest has arrived by then which shouldn't be an issue."
"I don't suppose you care to tell me who this 'guest' is or why their presence is important?"
"I believe this person will be beneficial for Singe's studies. William is the first Lycan but we have changed since his time. The closer to him the Lycan is, the better it will be to study the changes. Isadore is one of the oldest living Lycans and now that I'm a hybrid, she is the best source for unchanged Lycan DNA."
"Isadore is coming here?" It was probably rude for Singe to speak out of turn but he couldn't help the surprise. He had assumed that the alpha female was sending another guard to help, perhaps someone with experience in mountain climbing or some other skill that would be useful at the prison.
As far as he knew, Isadore had not left the main Sanctuary in nearly two hundred years. It was unheard of for her to make a long journey and risk discovery except in an emergency. Either Lucian had imparted to her how important their mission might be to the future of both species or she had decided on her own that this was important enough to warrant her presence. Or maybe there was something more to this that he didn't know about.
"Yes. She should arrive this afternoon."
Although Lucian hadn't asked him, Singe was pleased with his alpha's reasoning. The older the Lycan or Blood, the closer they were to the source and the more useful for his studies. He'd resigned himself to not having access to the handful of older Lycans who were scattered around the world to protect them from discovery. The war needed Lycans who actually remembered what it was like to live as a slave in order to provide focus and keep the younger Lycans in check.
Otherwise, they might just revert to fighting among themselves and the Bloods would be able to pick them off that much easier. It was one of the reasons Lucian was so adamant against any activity he saw as uncivilized or anything that pitted pack members against each other. They needed a united front if they were to have any chance of surviving.
He looked forward to seeing Isadore again. The female alpha was always gracious and controlled and hopefully she would act as a calming influence on the group. Although, he wondered how she would react to the vampires. She hadn't been near any since the war and old hatreds still ran deep in many of the old soldiers. But she had enough control not to attack the Bloods at first sight or even attack them verbally. Most likely, she would ignore them as much as possible.
"That's acceptable. I look forward to meeting your Isadore. Now I have to ask how you knew about my Cleaners. I wasn't aware that anyone was aware of them."
"I have many sources. The more people who know a secret, the more likely it is that that secret will get out. Frankly, I wasn't completely sure of your motives but I was aware that you were behind it. Otherwise, I would have tracked down your teams and had them killed a long time ago and I'm sure the Bloods would have done the same."
"We were aware of the Cleaners as well but were always told to leave them alone. I never understood why until now." Selene looked at Corvinus specutively. "I think Viktor and Amelia wanted to leave you alive because it bothered Marcus and as much as they claimed to be equals, we all knew that Marcus had the least amount of power and influence of all of them. That's why his centuries were always the most tense."
"I see. Apparently I wasn't as good at covering my tracks as I thought. I'll have to remedy that in the future."
"Did you really think we wouldn't notice bodies disappearing after fights? Did you think we would just blame the other side? We can smell that there were humans present even though your men took steps to try and hide it."
"Is there anything else you'd like to tell me about my operation? The location of my bases, perhaps?" Corvinus smelled of annoyance even though his face was empty of emotion. He may be the first immortal but he wasn't infallible. That was comforting in a way. It made him seem less formidable.
"You use the name 'Lorenz Macaro,' when dealing with the human world. Your current base of operations is an old freighter named the 'Sancta Helena' stationed in the Black Sea. I'm sure you have plenty of others but that is your main base in Hungary. Rest assured, I'm not telling you all this to make you look bad or to imply that you're incompetent. If anything, I'd say it's the other way around. You believed that both species, but especially Lycans were monsters and animals, didn't you? That's why you're so surprised at how much we know."
"Monsters, yes, but not animals. I understand that you're intelligent. I just didn't believe that the Lycans had the resources to discover my operation and I believed the vampires in their arrogance would be quick to blame any disappearances on Lycans. I'm impressed at how much you both knew. Tell me, was I a part of your plan? Did you wonder how I'd react if you succeeded in killing my son?"
"I believed you were estranged from Marcus. It appears I underestimated your interest in him. So, what would you have done to revenge him? Would you have killed me?"
"Perhaps. It was difficult for me to give up my neutrality for this alliance but it would have been even harder to give it up for revenge. If Marcus had died, he would have brought it on himself. Even if I had decided to kill you and Kraven in revenge, I wouldn't have taken it out on the rest of the species."
"That's a very wise decision. Now that we understand each other a little better, perhaps I can ask a more personal question. I'd like to know how much you knew about how both of our species operated. Did you have informants other than Tanis or did you learn more by observation?"
This was a touchy subject and Corvinus was clearly trying to consider how to answer. If he revealed that there were Lycans who had sold him information, then Lucian would be obligated to punish whoever had betrayed him probably with death. Selling information(and presumably none of them were stupid enough to simply give it away for free) was a traitorous act and one that might have endangered the lives of their packmates in unknown ways.
"I had an informant among your Lycans at one time but he was killed in a fight with the Bloods. I don't see the point of telling you his name at this point. Rest assured, it was very difficult to find anyone who would betray you and even the one I did have only did so under pressure from my men. It was either that or we would have killed him.
I have two other informants among the vampires but I don't feel comfortable telling you who they are. They're no one you would know anyway being low-ranking members of their respective covens but I still feel the need to protect them from any future retaliation. One of them was stationed at Ordoghaz but was one of the few to escape and I've offered them refuge at one of my outposts."
"I'm glad to hear that you had trouble turning any of my Lycans. Since your informant is dead, I won't press the point and the vampires are not my concern at the moment."
With the tough questions out of the way, the discussion turned to the quantity of supplies needed and estimates on how long they would be there. Corvinus offered to send his helicopters out for more supplies when necessary and assured them he would keep at least one at the jail at all times for emergencies. This assuaged some of Singe's concern about being trapped in the mountains with no way out.
The meeting wrapped up with no further animosity and Tanis went off with Corvinus and his men to give them a tour of the fortress. Apparently, Miller was going to be left here to coordinate between Corvinus and Tanis. If anything happened at the prison, Tanis's fortress would be the fall-back position that they would evacuate to while they decided their next course of action.
Since the main things that could go wrong would probably involve William getting loose or Marcus trying to kill them all, that wasn't a pleasant thought. Technically, there were other possibilities including earthquakes, landslides, and discovery by the Bloods but William escaping was the biggest concern. In his current state, he would kill all of them; humans, Lycans, vampires, and kin without remorse or hesitation.
"Isadore should arrive shortly. Perhaps we should go out and wait for her." Lucian looked at Raze and Singe expectantly and they followed him out obediently. It wasn't a request anyway. Obviously, their alpha had something to tell them that he didn't want the others to hear. With the amount of beings roaming the fortress at the moment, privacy was going to be hard to come by.
Outside, it was still cloudy but the sun was beginning to break through. It was nearly noon but the morning seemed to have flown by with the excitement and uncertainty of meeting Corvinus under more favorable conditions. All three of them sniffed at the air but there was no indication that any car was approaching. The three men stood in companionable silence, waiting for any signs of their new arrival as the wind picked up and the light shimmered through the trees. It looked like it would be a good day and with luck there would be more to come.
A/N: Just to answer the question posed by a couple of reviewers, I have seen all three movies and liked them. However, I'm going to have to ignore the revelation from the third movie about Lucian being the first Lycan to have human form. It won't work with what I have planned but this is an AU after all so that's just one of many differences.