Serena stopped in front of a large plush apartment building. She was in the center of down town; her apartment building was made out of marble and stood out among the other buildings around it. Serena gave her keys to the valet who worked the night shift and walked up the marble steps to the large door. On the left side of the door was a keypad, Serena typed in her six digit code and walked in to the large and immaculate lobby after the door clicked open.
There was no one in the lobby at this time of night and everything was silent. There was young red headed girl sitting at the front desk reading a giant book, at a closer glance Serena read the title, "Modern Genetics."
"Something that someone else would understand better then I could," she said as she walked over to the elevator. The two large doors were made of copper and Serena could see herself reflected in them. When the two doors opened Serena stepped in and turned around, she pressed the button that would take her to the second to last floor.
She waited patiently as the elevator went up higher and higher, all the while her thoughts were back to Darien. She had felt him try to push into her mind as she had driven here, but her anger overpowered her judgment and she just blocked him. She knew what he was going to say anyways so it didn't matter to her.
He would have told her that it was too dangerous for her to leave the safety of his mansion. He would demand to know where she was going. He would try to make her return, and then he would lecture her on how she never listened. He had been doing this more and more often lately, that had been one of the things that she had begun to notice about him, he didn't like being defied.
'Well that's too damn bad, because I am a Queen and I will not bend to his whim,' she thought to herself. She felt the elevator stop and the doors open. She stepped into the hallway and suddenly a cold chill ran up her spin. Something was off in the air and she could sense it.
There were only two doors in this hallway, the one on the left was hers and the one on the right belong to someone who she had never met before. Serena cautiously looked around and surveyed the area for anything out of place. When she saw there was nothing she tried to relax but her body was still on edge. She went to the door and slowly inserted the key into the keyhole. She stopped and waited for something to happen; when nothing did she turned the key and again stopped to wait.
When nothing happened again Serena turned the knob on the door and pushed it open. The room beyond her was dark and she saw nothing out of place so far. Serena took on step into the room and knew automatically that she had made the wrong decision.
From behind a wall stepped a massive man, who she could instantly tell was a werewolf. He had long dark brown hair that went to his shoulders, his face was long and his goatee made him look like a demon, his skin was a dark tanned shade of brown. She turned to try and run but another man was behind her, and he was just as big; the only difference between the two was that this man was blonde with a paler skin tone. She could see that across the hall the door was open and realized that he had come from it. She began to gather her power to release it but before she could do anything the man in front of her punched her hard in the face.
She was sent flying backwards and into the other mans arms. She felt the large rough hands grab her arms and lift her from her feet. The man then threw her into the wall that was next to her. She hit hard and then crumpled to the ground.
Through the legs of the other man she could see into the other apartment, there was a young brunette lying on the floor, her eyes opened in terror, and her throat torn out. Serena felt a twinge of fear as she saw the woman. She felt the two men grab her arms on either side and pull her backwards her feet dragging on the floor behind. They pulled her into the living room and threw her down hard at the foot of the couch. Serena could see someone's white pant leg, she would have tried to determine who it was but a throbbing began in her head as blood seeped out from a large cut.
"My dear Serenity, it has been a long time since we last saw each other," said a velvety voice from above her. She instantly knew who it was; Diamond. He leaned over to look into her eyes and frowned when he saw the damage his men had done to her. "I told you to be gentle with her," he snapped at the two men. "You had better hope that she heals correctly or it will be your heads on my wall next," he spat viciously at them.
He looked down at her and saw blood coming from her head, he looked at the two Neanderthals in front of him, "Pick her up and gently put her in that chair, and I'll emphasize the word gently."
They did as he said and set her down in the chair as carefully as they could. Serena's throbbing head was making it difficult to completely comprehend what was going on around her. She saw Diamond fully now, he wore a white pair of pants with a blue dress shirt and white dress coat to go over it. His hair was down to his chin and she would tell that he had had someone straighten it; he was leaning back against her couch one arm set lazily at his side the other lying on to back of the couch.
"What do you want Diamond?" she finally asked him.
"Why my pet isn't it obvious?" he asked. Serena just stared at him and said nothing, her brain probably, had it not been in so much pain could have caught his meaning. "I'm here to rescue you from the brutish Endymion, the infidel that calls himself a king," he said.
"And what if I didn't want you to rescue me," Serena said.
"You'll be glad that I did."
"I don't think I will be," Serena said.
"You will in time," Diamond told her.
"Never," she spat at him.
"Well then we have all eternity and I am a patient man," he said, "God knows that I've waited for you for so long, I can wait a while longer." His eyes went to the man who was standing off to the left, the dark haired one. Serena was about to turn her head to see what he was doing when she felt a needle go into her neck. There was a burning sensation as the man pushed whatever chemical that there was in the syringe into her neck.
Slowly Serena felt her eyes begin to close, and then she drifted into a silent sleep.
Darien threw open the door to the apartment. He knew instantly that she was in danger. He had been down the hall when the elevator doors opened and he smelled Diamond and her scent mixed together. As he inhaled he could smell more of Diamonds men. He grew angry knowing that they had her he grabbed the first thing in reach and threw it against the wall with and angry cry. Then he released his power in the apartment. The windows blew out and everything was broken to pieces.
Darien was out the door and back in the elevator in seconds. He called the mansion and waited.
Rei answered, "How long has she been gone?" Rei asked already feeling her brother's anger from miles away.
"An hour," he said, "I want every sweeper team out there looking for her and Diamonds lair, get Mina and Malachite and question them on what they know, go over everything that could possibly help us."
"Darien what about Varinia?" asked Rei, "She's been sighted closer to the city."
"I don't give a damn about her, find Serena!" he yelled at her as he hung up.
When Darien reached his car and got in he hit his hands against the steering wheel, "Damn it," he said, "Ill find you Serena."
Serena woke with a headache and her vision blurred, she sat up and looked around. She knew by the smell of the place that it wasn't familiar. Serena looked down at herself and could see that she wasn't wearing what she had been wearing. Her clothes had been replaced by a silken pale blue dress and ballet slide on slippers that matched the dress. Her hair was pulled back in an up do and she felt tight curls on her shoulders.
Serena put on foot on the floor and tried to stand, but whatever drug she had been given had stolen all her energy from her. She began to fall but was able to lean back and fall onto the bed before she hit the ground.
"Your energy won't return for a while my love" said Diamonds velvety voice from across the room.
"And why not afraid that you can't take me when I'm at my full potential?" she chided him.
Diamond laughed on the other side of the room. "I do not fear you my love," he said.
"I am not your love," Serena growled at him, "And I never shall be." He was silent and she could tell that he was staring at her body, even though her eyes were dulled her sense were not. "I know what you're planning."
"Really and what would that be?" he asked.
"You want to create a race stronger then Vampires and Werewolves altogether," she said, "You want to reproduce with me to meet that goal."
She heard Diamond chuckle from his place, then there was a draft and he was sitting on the bed next to her. "You think that is all that I want you for my love, oh no it's not for that reason that I stole you from Darien."
"Then for what reason was it?" she asked. Her eyes were going back into focus and she was thankful for it, she could now see most of the room around her.
"Mostly because I have desired you from the first moment that I met you, and secondly because I hate that bastard that you are so infatuated with and it's just a stab in the heart that I'll have you and he won't," Diamond said viciously. "But there is another reason as well," he said close to her ear.
"And what is that?"
"For you to be my Queen, to rule with me over the Underworld that I shall recreate," he told her.
Serena's vision was back and she was able to see everything around her, her headache had also dissipated and she was feeling stronger. Whatever Diamond had given her, was wearing off.
"It will be more effective if I showed you what I was planning instead of tell you," he said. Diamond stood and held out his hand to her. Serena refused to take it and tried to stand on her own, but she still didn't have enough power to do it on her own.
Diamond grabbed her arm and began to lead her out of the room. His hands were cold and pale unlike Darien's; Diamonds were also long and thin, she could feel the bones in his hands. Not like Darien's that were strong and full, powerful and always warm.
Minuets later Serena and Diamond had gone down a large steel staircase and into the basement. It was a large and looked as if it could be a jet hanger; it was easily forty times bigger than the house above and had been converted into a laboratory. But that wasn't the part that shocked Serena the most.
On the main floor of the lab were rows upon rows of what looked to be metal coffins standing upright. Each was securely locked by numerous bolts on the sides, and each had a small window on the front so that doctors could visually monitor specimens.
"What is this?" demanded Serena.
"My army," he said to her coolly and led her over to one of the boxes. "Within each of these is a specimen that has been grown right here in this lab," he said. "Born with the blood of the greatest Demons, Witches, Vampires and Werewolves running through their veins," he said. "We gathered samples from each of the species and cloned each to mass produce it for our new children."
All Serena could do was stare in horror at what she saw. "This is abomination!" she yelled at him. "These things that you have created are abominations."
"Why because they are of mixed blood?" he asked menacingly.
"No because they were never given life, they were not created by parents with a choice, they were grown for your own selfish reasons," Serena yelled. "You've made an army that you have no control over Diamond."
"What are you talking about I am their master, I will control everything about them I will be their King," he said calmly.
"And what happens when they realize that they have more power then you?"
"Impossible," he said.
"Yes is that not what they said about your own kind when the Vampires ruled over you," Serena asked him.
Diamond opened his mouth to argue with her when they both heard a large eruption from above. "What the hell was that?" he asked.
A man came running towards him looking terrified. "My King it is the Vampire Varinia she is attacking the coven, she says that she wants you and she's killing anyone who is getting in her way."
"What are you doing down here then get up there and defend us," he said frantically. The man nodded, turned and ran away. Diamond looked around at all the people standing there watching him, "What are you doing go with him."
Everyone immediately dropped their things and ran upstairs to fight the battle. He turned back to Serena. "We need to get out of here."
"What aren't you going to fight the battle with your goons?" she asked, "Or are you too afraid to even fight."
Diamond took her arm and led her to the other end of the large room. There was a door that led into an adjoining room that was full of test tubes and computers. There was another explosion behind them this time closer. Diamond was running full out pulling Serena with him as he went.
Serena was rushed through another door; Diamond stopped and turned to lock the heavy bolt that was on the door. "Do you really think that will stop her?" Serena asked him.
Diamond glared at her and then pulled her down a long narrow hallway where cages lined each of the walls. In each of the cages there was a doglike creature; they were massive and had spots of patchy hair all over their bodies, their eyes were bloodshot and the pupils were completely black.
"What are these things?" Serena asked. They all howled as she and Diamond ran past.
"The first batch of failures," Diamond told her as they ran towards another door. He threw it open and pushed Serena inside; it was a large steel elevator. He closed the door behind him as he entered; then two steel elevator doors slid closed and they began to move upwards.
"Where are you taking me?" she asked him.
"Up," Diamond said, he pulled from his coat pocket a large handgun.
"That won't stop her."
"Silver nitrate bullets, kill almost instantly if hit in the heart," he told her as he cocked it back.
"And if you don't hit them in the heart?"
"Enters the blood stream and your dead within a few minuets, very painful," he said, he looked at her with and evil smile, "I designed them for Endymion at first and then I found it could be more useful then I had imagined."
Serena stared at the gun which was now at his side, her mind began to think of all the damage a weapon like that could have upon their world. After a few more seconds they stopped and the door slid open. Serena and Diamond stepped out into a dark tunnel; Serena knew instantly that it was mine the smell of sulfur engulfed her senses. Over to her left Serena saw moonlight peeking in from and opening in the shaft. Diamond began to push her towards it.
"Hurry up, she's coming," he told her. He grabbed Serena's hand and tried to pull her faster. But to his surprise she quickly twisted out of it and pushed him away from her.
"I have nothing to fear from Varinia, she's part of my kind, she doesn't want me she wants you," Serena said. "So go ahead and run if you wish but I'm not, I don't fear her."
Serena heard the tearing of metal from behind her but she didn't look to see. Diamond stared at it though, his eyes full of fear. "Come on," he said and he pointed his gun at Serena.
"You wouldn't dare, if you love me as much as you say you do then you won't pull that trigger."
Diamond looked behind her and his eyes widened even more, "This isn't over," he said. Then he turned and ran out of the shaft.
"Yes, it is," Serena said as she watched him retreat. After a few moments she ran to the opening and stared down at Diamond running away from the shaft. Then Serena heard Varinia behind her she heard the humming of her power; a light began to come from behind her. Serena was tempted to turn around but then she felt the heat and decided better of it. She looked around and saw a ladder going down from the shaft opening, but she knew that if she climbed down she wouldn't be fast enough to avoid Varinia's attack.
Serena looked down and made a split second decision, she jumped down from the opening right as Varinia's attack was let loose and thrown at Diamond. Serena hit the ground with a large thud and unfortunately she also hit her head knocking her out.
When Darien and his troops arrived and hour later they came upon a smoking pile of rubble. Darien stepped out of the black truck and stared at the fires. All around was a gruesome scene, Sedricks bodies lay bloodied and mangled on the ground. Even some of the troops in the group were affected by the sight.
"Spread out and look for survivors," said Jadeite from Darien's left.
"I highly doubt that there will be any," said Lita as climbed down from the large truck.
"Still we have to find out what was going on," Nephrite said.
"What do you mean what was going on?" asked Lita.
"It's in the air," said Darien, "Chemicals mixed with blood and poison, something else then just what we see was happening."
"We need to know what Diamond was planning incase anyone got away and still plans to execute the plan," Darus said walking over to the group.
"Right, survivors," Lita said she jumped down and began to walk around.
"This is futile," Ami said as she stuck her head out from the window, "Varinia's vengeance is more powerful than anything that we have faced, and she wouldn't have left anyone alive unless she wanted them to be alive."
"And why should we listen to you seeing as you've most likely been leading us on the wrong path for years," said Zoicite as he walked around the back end of the truck with a box of medical supplies.
"These are Sedricks, not Romulens, they'd kill you dead and not even think one thought," she said. Ami hopped down from the truck and began walking into the forest.
"Where are you going?" yelled Jadeite.
"To look for survivors," she yelled back defiantly.
"Lita," said Jadeite, he motioned his head towards Ami's retreating form.
"I know, I know," Lita said as she began to run after Ami.
"Zoicite when are you going to forgive her?" asked Nephrite.
"How can I?" Zoicite said walking onto the battle field.
Nephrite followed behind, "By moving on and loving her."
"She lied to us for so long Nephrite how is I to ever trust her again?" he asked stooping down to examine a Sedricks body.
"By taking a chance, by jumping into the darkness hoping that she's there to catch you," he told Zoicite.
"And if she doesn't?"
"Then you fall until you decide to fly." Nephrite looked at Zoicite's back then turned and walked off towards the ruined house.
Ami walked among the trees yelling and ranting about Zoicite; while Lita tried to keep up with her pace as she stumbled over rocks and tree branches.
"I mean are you seriously not going to move on?" Ami yelled. "I told him the truth; I had never even been tempted to do that with anyone else. That has to count for something doesn't it?" she asked Lita.
Lita opened her mouth to reply but Ami had already begun talking again. "Of course it does I showed him a part of me that I had never shown anyone before. I gave him part of my soul. I let him in, and when I decided to come clean and show him the real me what does he do?"
Lita opened her mouth to answer but was again cut off. "He goes and says that I am unworthy and untruthful! Well what has he shared with me? Hmm why didn't he ever tell me of all the things that he did, unmorally, in the name of science."
Lita stopped for a few seconds to breathe and then just spoke to herself "It's pointless, so I'm not even going to try and speak." She inhaled another breath and then began running after Ami who had gotten about three hundred feet in front of her in a matter of seconds.
Serena woke leaning against a tree in the moonlight. She looked around and saw that she was in the forest; it was all dark except for the moonlight. To her right she saw a lake and standing on the bank of the lake was Varinia.
Serena tried to stand so that she could run away but her body was to weak. "Don't try to move," Varinia said in a thick Romanian accent, "Your body is too weak, you haven't fed and you just suffered from serious injuries within a short time."
"How did you know about my other injuries?" Serena asked.
"Your bruises haven't healed and there's still a large cut on your forehead, its masked now by the new one but I could see it."
Serena put her hand to her head and felt a cut and a swelling forming around it. "Aren't you going to kill me?" she asked Varinia after a few moments.
"I thought you were certain that I wouldn't kill my own kind?" Varinia said.
"I wasn't certain of anything I just suspected," Serena said. There was a lengthy silence.
"No Queen Serenity I will not kill you," Varinia said. "You are not the one that I have animosity towards."
"Oh…..who is it then?" Serena asked.
"You should know if you are Queen," Varinia said looking at her. When Serena stared at her with a blank look she spoke, "Your worst enemy the Valcors."
Serena's mouth formed and "O", "Your mistaken my lady, the Valcors are no longer my enemy they are my ally."
Varinia looked back at her, "Are they now?" Varinia took a few steps towards Serena. "Because you are their Kings lover?" she said. "Do you really think that will keep and alliance for long?"
"Yes, we signed a treaty," Serena began.
"A piece of paper is nothing my lovely," Varinia said, "A piece of paper can be lost or burnt, torn or shredded, possibly even drowned," she said. "That piece of paper is nothing Serenity you, who were taught by Astrid, should know that."
"Astrid is the reason that I made the treaty to…."
"Too what? Breed with the Valcors, to love one of them? To marry and share the crown with one of them?" yelled Varinia, "To mix their filth with our pure blood!"
"There is no difference from our blood to theirs its all the same," Serena said standing and finding her strength. "We are of the same blood but different families," Serena said.
"Exactly and that is how it should remain separated and different," said Varinia.
Serena was silent for a while then she took a breath and spoke, "Varinia you loved my Grandfather correct?"
"That has nothing to do with this matter, this is a question of whether or not you and that Valcor bastard Endymion should be together," she said. "And the answer is no."
"I'll kill every Valcor before I allow that to happen and if needed, I'll kill Romulens as well," Varinia said.
"Then we'll stop you," Serena said.
"You really think that you can stop me Serenity?" Varinia asked of her. "I could kill you right now."
"Then do it," Serena challenged her.
Varinia stared at her then allowed her fangs to lengthen, "Your blood wont even fed me for and hour, but no matter its blood all the same."
Serena turned and began to run but tripped on her dress. When she looked up Varinia stood in front of her looking down ready to feed, "I really didn't want it to come down to this but no matter." She grabbed Serena by the throat and plunged her fangs into Serena's soft porcelain skin.