Sorry for taking my sweet time with this chapter and its a little on the short side but I had to get something out. Just to appease the loyal reviewers. They do deserve something after all. Thanks very much for the reviews; Teen Freak, Guardian of Azarath, Realfanficts, Samson, Rose Red2.0, Wild Fantasy, Valda, x Tommy x S x.

Enjoy!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter Twenty-one

The Road less Traveled

Within seconds the lord of all vampires sailed right through the tall ceiling and was gone. Ignoring his own pain Robin roughly reached into his belt and pulled out a syringe. "Here," he said breathing hard. "Cyborg's perfected it, it'll stop the change." Relief spread through her as she graciously took it from him and injected herself with the retrovirus. Once she was done Starfire returned her attention to Robin.

"Can you stand?" He tried but he only gritted his teeth.

"I don't think so, he hit pretty hard. I've seen one move that fast." Starfire hung her head.

"I have never even seen him. Robin I fear things have gone terribly wrong." He looked at her perplexed.

"How? He's awake, he's pissed, and he's going after the one's who wrecked the council. What's the problem?"

"Robin, for some reason Markus doesn't know Rafael was involved." Then it hit him. She was right, Markus only mentioned Isard as the traitor. "We need to leave, Shandrey!" She called out. She didn't know if Shandrey meant 'shout' literally but Robin was hurting and it was starting to get colder. She pulled one of the torches out of its holder and brought closer to them. He helped her hold it up as they waited to be rescued.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ROME……………..

Liz walked slowly down the hall toward Becket's office, although Isard quickly claimed it for her own. She stopped before the door and knocked politely. She heard Isard allow her entry and enter she did. The vampiress glanced up at her then looked back down at what she was slaving over.

"You asked to see me Mother?"

"Sit down," replied Isard. Liz gulped nervously. She took seat before the desk Isard was sitting behind. "Elizabeth I can't do everything myself, that's why I have loyal children like yourself to carry out my wishes." Liz darted her eyes about. She set down her pen and looked up at her. "A friend has informed me that you are deeply troubled." Liz's heart stopped. So he did tell her about their conversation.

"Can I ask how much has he told you, Mother?"

"Nothing beyond what I just said. Although even if he had intended to elaborate he needn't have bothered. Your short time among our enemies gives a fairly good idea."

"Mother I-"

"So what I have to assume now is that you're feeling…guilt for having carried out your orders." Liz couldn't understand it, why had she done it? Why did she have to open her mouth? She realized now that speaking with him was her undoing, their loyalty to 'Mother' was simply too strong. Isard stood up and walked behind Liz. She put her hands down on her shoulders and held them tightly. "This troubles me as well Elizabeth." Liz gripped the bottom of her chair. "Because we function as a whole if one of my children has a problem…" She bent down to speak near her ear. "I have a problem; now tell me Elizabeth what is on your mind."

"I-I miss them," she stuttered. Isard took in a deep breath; she did not like loosing devoted pupils. 'But I suppose sacrifices must be made'.

"I'm sorry you feel that way Elizabeth, I'm sorry to have troubled you. You may go." Liz looked up at her in surprise.

"I can?"

"Yes what did you think I was gong to?" asked Isard smiling and walking back around to her desk. "Have you taken away to some dark dungeon?" Still utterly mystified Liz got to her feet, gave Isard a curtsy and turned to leave. With a growing frown Isard pushed a button nodded to the guard standing by the door. He followed Liz outside and after the door closed she heard Liz's short lived struggle with him and was taken away. "You thought right my child."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

KITSUNE VALLEY……………….

Shandrey managed to hear Starfire's call and brought them both back to the valley. She helped Robin into a chair and with Raven's help set to healing his cracked ribs. The process, though surprisingly quick, was still a painful one. When they finished they left Robin to himself in a chair by the fire. Starfire entered followed y Lee.

"Robin I hope you are feeling better."

"Well I'm not gonna pretend like I don't feel it, but I'll be fine." She sat down beside him. Lee blinked a few times in an attempt to stave off a moment of blindness. "You okay?"

"Yes, my eyes are just giving me trouble. So you didn't awaken Markus." They shook their heads. "Do you have any idea who?"

"We know only a vampire and one with the skills to organize their blood memories could awaken him," said Starfire. "That by itself only broadens our pool of choices."

"We have time though," said Robin holding his throbbing chest. "Markus doesn't know Isard took Rome, he'll have to find her first. Of course after he does it'll just a matter of time before he comes for us."

"Unless we defeat him first," said Lee. Both he and Starfire looked up at him strangely. "Yes I know the task seems lofty if not impossible but Markus is still of flesh and blood isn't he?"

"Yes but he's also the first of the vampire line, that makes him free of centuries of hereditary degenerations or weakness," said Robin. "He's probably immune to sunlight, garlic, maybe silver. The only weapon we would have against him is brute strength and holy water."

"Then that might be enough," said Lee defiantly. Robin sat confused at Lee's desire to get to Markus before Isard was forced to fight him. He was about to voice this thought when Lee handed him a bottle of what appeared to be water. "Here, this might help dull the pain." Robin took it and sniffed the opening.

"What is this? Sake?"

"No, something a little stronger." Robin smiled and nodded a few times. He tipped it toward Starfire.

"Lee's moonshine huh? This should be good." He began to take a sip but immediately coughed out what he had in his mouth. Starfire burst out giggling and Lee grinned broadly. Robin wiped the strong beverage from his mouth. "Smooth," he said extremely hoarse. "Really smooth Lee." Once she was done laughing Starfire gently took the bottle from his grasp and began chugging down the liquid within. Lee's smile gradually faded and Robin just stared at her mystified. Once she had consumed the last of it she drew the bottle away and regarded it curiously. After thinking of something he could be doing Lee excused himself from the strange scene. Robin turned his head back to Starfire. "Sure, make me look like a baby." She coughed lightly allowing a tiny smoke ring to escape her. She watched it sail away then smiled at him.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HAMBURG, GERMANY………………..

It was in the dead of night. Ever since the collapse of the Nocturna Council the streets had become noticeably safer to travel around. A group of girls braved the streets under the influence of a dare from another group of friends. From around a corner the lustful eyes of a lonely vampire watched the approaching girls with hungry fervor.

"Just a little closer my beauties." He heard someone touch the ground behind him ten a hand held his shoulder. He moved his eyes about. "Whoever you are you're intruding on me at very inopportune time." He was suddenly pulled back into the darkness of the alley. He then the talons from two great wings pin him to the wall. He screamed out loud scaring the group of girls away. He twisted and writhed against the wall. The figure that held him there grew closer. The tip of his cane tapped against the ground.

"Guess who?" He finally looked at the face of his assailant. His eyes widened and let out a few staggered gasps.

"Markus."

"Strange tales I hear, Dressler, of my council being destroyed and yet here you stand as the only surviving member. Strange isn't it?"

"My Lord I can explain-" Markus gripped his neck and turned his head aside. He examined the Red Wolf tattoo with a soft growl.

"Looks like you already have, but before I kill you tell me where to find Isard." Dressler shook his head.

"My Lord s-she doesn't tell me-ACCCKKKKK!" Markus twisted a talon stuck in his shoulder. "AHHH-ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT!" Markus pretended not to hear him and let some searing pain course through his body. "Isard-Isard has taken the human city of Rome for her own. Rafael is nowhere to be found." Markus' left eye narrowed.

"Rafael? What about Rafael?" Dressler apparently was without strength to answer or simply tried to brave the danger. Markus pulled his talons out of Dressler letting him fall to the ground. Dressler gritted his teeth and stared up at the remorseless vampire.

"Please, I can still honor you." Markus smirked.

"Traitors have no honor." With a quick thrust Markus pierced Dressler's chest and upon removing the talon took his heart along with it. Mouth open wide as well as his eyes Dressler gazed upon his own heart skewered on Markus' talon. In the next second he crumbled to ash. The organ followed suit and Markus stretched his neck. "That was mildly entertaining. Now Isard, you and I shall have a chat."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BACK WITH OUR HEROES…………….

Beast Boy sat down by the banks of the small pond just outside the valley. His face reflected in the water's rippling surface. He placed his hands underwater then brought the cool water to his face. As it moved down his face his time in Mifune's camp came back.

He stood alongside his cellmate Jacob and a number of other prisoners. Mifune had lined them all up after an attempt to escape the camp was thwarted. The one attempting the escape had not been clearly seen but could be identified by cuts on his hands from trying to climb the fence. Beast Boy looked down at his hands and saw the small streams of blood. Mifune walked about the lines forcefully retrieving information from the various prisoners. Jacob glanced down at Beast Boy's hands.

"Y-You the one?" he asked in a hushed whisper. Beast Boy didn't answer. They saw Mifune coming closer followed by his officers. With fearful eyes Jacob reached down as inconspicuously as he could and wiped the blood off Beast Boy's hands onto his own.

"What are you-"

"Just find another way out of here," interrupted his friend. Mifune locked his eyes on Beast Boy.

"YOU! I will have you for my dinner!"

"Wait." Mifune sharply turned his head away from Beast Boy and over to his officer who walked up to Jacob. He took hold of his hands and saw the remnants of Beast Boy's blood. He released his hands and calmly took out his pistol. "It was him." Beast Boy looked away just as he heard the single shot.

He sputtered out a gasp as he heard the shot in his mind as clearly as if it were real. That night he'd managed to convince himself that other tried to escape and that Jacob had been executed with them. But it was too difficult to bar the truth from himself any longer. Beast Boy had lost a friend that day, and he would never forgive himself for it. He saw the moon's reflection in the water and moved his dripping face upward. As he looked upon the crescent shaped orb he began shaking. 'It's just the moon, why do I feel so afraid of it'. He looked away from it and wiped the water off his face.

"Shandrey tells me it looks much better when there's a full moon out." He turned to see Raven approaching him. His eyes followed her all the way to his side. She sat down and lowered his head. "Beast Boy is there is a reason why you don't want me around."

"That's not it Raven," said Beast Boy still avoiding her eyes. "It's just-" He paused as his thoughts jostled about before they could escape his mouth. He scratched his head. "Look I'm afraid to admit I've gotten like Rob and I have a hard time talk about…umm…"

"Feelings," finished Raven.

"Yeah, yeah that's what I meant. Its just that ever time I try my thoughts get twisted around and I just get…uhhhh…."

"Tongue tied?"

"Yes, I sound like an idiot, exactly." Raven nodded a few times.

"I see, but you know you still haven't answered my question." Beast Boy scrunched up his face.

"Look, its not that I don't want you around. In all truth Raven I don't think I'd be able to deal with all this." She curled a hand over his shoulder.

"About what?"

"Have you been in a cage Raven?" She swallowed. "That thing you hear from people about the walls closing in around you; it's unlike anything you've ever been through. And I really think I'm still loosing my mind." He turned his face to look at her for the first time in that moment.

"I felt the same way when you were still lost." Beast Boy's mouth parted and his eyes dropped. "And everything that's going on here; Starfire getting used to being herself again, Lee and Shandrey, and Markus on the loose……I don't see how any of us are capable of maintaining our sanity." Beast Boy grinned.

"Yeah, its hard to top us on the 'weird-shit-o-meter' isn't?" Raven chuckled along Beast Boy. "Listen Raven, do you think you could do me a favor and erase some memories for me." Raven regarded him strangely.

"You're kidding right?" Beast Boy shook his head. "Okay, maybe we should talk some more."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lee sat in his room staring down at the short sword in his hands. He couldn't deny where it had come from. He gave it to Nayia just a few days before he met Shandrey. It seemed they were strangely all connected by fate or something. Lee held it from the hilt and from the sharp point. He knew what he had to; it was just working up the courage to face it alone. He sheathed the small blade then took his own off the stand on his dresser.

--------

Lee stood in the stables tightening the fittings on his horse. He slipped his sword in a pouch and tied that down. Shandrey stepped into the moon light. "And where do you think you're going?" Lee ducked his head to mask his small fright.

"Shandrey how is it you seem to know exactly what I'm doing all the time?"

"I'm magic," she said obviously. He went back to readying for his journey. "Where are you going? You can't just leave in the middle of the night."

"I'm going to find Nayia. You remember her Shandrey, shad the freest spirit and the most rebellious attitude that ever saw daylight. I refuse to believe she's suddenly seen things Isard's way. Something happened that changed her and I want to know what it is, I want to know the truth." She stared at him with longing.

"The problem though Lee with looking for the truth…..is that sometimes you find it." Lee brushed her arm but said nothing. He couldn't allow anyone to come with him; the chance that he would not return was too great. He stole a kiss from her then mounted his steed. With one last look at her he kicked at the horse's sides, turned in the stall and galloped out of the stables. Shandrey walked to the large doorway and leant on the inner edge.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Next chapter will hopefully be longer. I just had to offer you guys something because I was away from this for so long. Hope it was well enough. Laters!