(Still Richard's POV)

My whole body ached and I could barely stand, but it could be worse. I could be dead like a couple of my old friends that laid on the forest floor in a puddle of blood that wasn't even theirs to spill. Some of my stolen blood was also soaking into the dirt ground, but one against four in the beginning, but the odds quickly grew as Bruce continued to plant his seed in their minds making it one against seven. Add in the fact that we're all vampires and I'm lucky I even made it out with all my limbs still intact.

Looking around me now, I saw just which of my friends I had killed and felt a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach that made me fall backwards onto my ass. The original four that went against me were lying in blood, eyes more lifeless than before and skin paler than ever. Joining the club was Allen, Wally, and Karen; their bodies just as torn and bloody as the others and I heard Victor's hoarse cries from the border of the clearing when he spotted his dead lover's body.

I wanted to tell him that I was sorry and that if he wanted, he could kill me as payback after I took down Bruce, but I knew nothing I could say would make him hurt any less. Perhaps the reason Victor was in so much pain was because he believed part of what I said yet Karen did not and she died fighting for a corrupt power hungry man. I know that if Kory did something like that I would be just as broken up between my love for her and doing what I knew was right.

"Richard!" Raven cried, running over to me with worry thick in her eyes. I smiled weakly and held her hand when she collapsed on her knees next to me.

"It's okay Raven, I'm fine," I tried to assure her, but the words came out weaker than I expected to and that seemed to only panic her more.

"We need to get you some blood," she said, letting the medic in her take over as she helped me to my feet. I swayed a bit before finding balance and beginning to walk across the clearing towards the forest.

"Just where do you two think you're going?" Bruce questioned, easily stepping in front of us. I lifted my head up to look at him and saw the rage in his eyes making me think that at least if I died now I could say that I pissed him off.

"Away from here. You've had your fun Bruce, now let us go," Raven spat, glaring at him.

"You can't just leave whenever you want. It doesn't work that way especially since you just killed seven of my vampires," he bit out, jaw clenched from how angry he was. Oh yes, I had made an impression alright.

"They're not your vampires, Bruce. They have their own free will. It's not like we signed some god damn contract so move the hell out of our way," I challenged and his eyes bled black faster than I'd ever seen somebody's before. The sight made a chill run down my spine and out of instinct, I took a step back; pulling Raven with me incase Bruce suddenly snapped and tried to attack her.

"If you think you're going to be leaving here alive, you have another thing coming," he threatened, glaring me down. Biting back the pain that shot through my body, I stepped forward on my own to challenge him.

"Who's going to stop me Bruce? You have no one left to fight for you. Can't you see the doubt in their eyes?" Upon saying this, Bruce looked behind me at the remaining vampires that for so long had followed him. I knew for certain that they looked confused, hurt, and not at all like they were ready to jump into a fight even if it was against someone who could barely stand on their own.

"If they won't do anything, then I will," Bruce threatened and seemed to almost charge forward, a motion that made me move in front of Raven, before a breeze made all of us freeze; finding ourselves surrounded by the remaining vampires from Bruce's clan.

"Let them go Bruce. You can't fight off all of us," Victor pointed out, eyes red from the tears he had cried for Karen.

There was a stiff moment between the two vampires where I had the feeling I could probably cut the tension with a knife before Bruce finally made the first move; a scoff. "I'll give you this victory Richard, but you can bet I'll be back." And with that said he was gone and I'm pretty sure I heard everyone let out a collective sigh of relief. Despite how they appeared, none of the surrounding vampires were ready for a fight; especially one against Bruce.

"Thank you Victor," I began, but the cold look he sent my way made my blood run cold as I froze.

"Don't you dare speak to me," he hissed, eyes already bleeding black as I felt Raven stiffen next to me; her grip on my arm tightening out of fear. I moved forward to try and explain to Victor, but he shoved me away angrily; lips pulled back in a snarl as tears began to fall from his black eyes.

"You murdered her!" he screamed, pointing an accusing finger in my direction which I could only accept with guilt.

"It was kill or be killed," I spoke weakly and a cry echoed through the surrounding trees.

"You bastard," he spat and I lowered my gaze, choosing instead to look at the blood stained dirt which didn't help my conscious much.

"If I could take it back, I would. I didn't want it to turn out that way; I didn't want to kill any of them."

"But you had to right, because your precious Kory was in danger," Victor said, venom dripping from each word. At the mention of her, I felt my spine stiffen as I lifted my head to meet his angry stare.

"All of us are in danger and for all I know, Kory is dead right now because of me! I'll admit that I was angry and glad to take it out on someone other than myself, but that doesn't change the fact that I just killed part of my family." The surrounding vampires that I had considered family for the past few years looked solemnly down at the blood stained ground after I spoke these words and I knew that they were all hurting. "But I did what I had to because if I had just let them kill me, Bruce would have won."

"So this was all just some god damn ego trip?! You killed them just because you didn't want Bruce to win?!" Gar cried, tears in his eyes as he stared at me.

"I understand why you would see it that way," I began before being kicked in the gut by Victor. In my weakened state, I didn't even realize what had happened before Raven was screaming my name and I was inhaling dirt.

"Get up," Victor hissed, marching over to me. I didn't even have enough strength to lift my head up and look him in the eye, settling instead for watching his feet.

"Victor leave him alone," Raven begged, her petit feet also coming into view. There was a sound of a struggle before her feet stumbled back as a growl sounded through the air.

"Stay out of this Raven," he ordered, leaving no room to argue. And I wanted to argue; I wanted to explain myself and tell Victor to leave Raven alone but as it was I could barely catch my breath. Of course none of this mattered to Victor as he stepped towards me and lifted me effortlessly into the air before slamming my back against a tree, making me cough and gasp as the harsh taste of metallic filled my mouth.

"Fight me," he all but growled as my vision swam and I began to see four eyes instead of two. Soon those four eyes were replaced by two first, each rushing towards my face; the impact feeling like four fists instead of just two as I heard my nose break and felt the stolen blood run down my face.

Kory's blood; wasted on the dirt.

Just the thought of Kory's blood made my eyes dim to black as heat rushed through my veins and I felt adrenaline flood my senses. All that I saw was the fresh blood on the ground and Victor's ugly snarl as he pulled back his fist for another punch. I gripped his outstretched hand and squeezed, breaking the bones in Victor's hand as he howled in pain. A sick smile spread across my pale lips as I used his broken hand to bend him until he kneeled before me with lips parted in a silent scream.

"Kill or be killed," I hissed to him, pulling back my other hand that would deliver the killing blow to his skull.

"Richard stop!" Raven screamed, running over and taking hold of my fisted hand. The numbness stopped then, replaced with total awareness of everything that was going on around me as I took in the scared faces of the people around me. In my hand, I felt the broken bones in Victor's hand grind against each other as I continued to grip it, letting go of his hand as if it had burned me.

"Vic, I-." I stopped then, not sure what I could say to him to make what I just did better. In my defense, I could say that he started it and that if I hadn't acted he would have killed me, but it didn't cover the fact that I had just gone into a blind rage and had been about to kill part of my family.

"Save it Grayson," was all Victor spat before standing once again and turning from me. There was a moment when I wasn't sure if he would turn around and start attacking me all over again, but then Victor began to walk away with the other's following shortly after him; sending me back one last sad look before disappearing into the cover of the surrounding trees.

"Are you alright?" Raven asked weakly from besides me. I knew that she was referring to my physical being especially since my front was pretty much covered in blood and to that I nodded.

Physical problems I could deal with, it was the mental demons that were prying apart my brain that made me worry.

oo-oo-oo-oo-oo

Eh I'm not even really going to bother writing anything for an A/N. Truth is, for the past months that I haven't been updating, I've had like no inspiration and just didn't want to write anything. I'm starting to get back into now though and I hope to get out of this funk soon. More updates on the way.

Kattie