And I'm back :)

This chapter'll maybe be the last of Dean.

Nah, it is.

Or is it?

Anyway, I would just like to say that I'm in a good mood, because my family is getting a Newfoundland puppy. We dunno what to name it, but I'm all for Godzilla. Or Tiny. But Godzilla is better ;)

(I know the name of the chapter is the name of an Enter Shikari song, but this song fits it better :]) Been To Hell – Hollywood Undead

The remainder of the group progressed through the rest of the building for roughly twenty minutes before we found a large lounge. Elegant suede and leather settees lined the room with a large mahogany dining table on the right side of it. There were mini lounges in the room itself, with smaller couches, armchairs and coffee tables. Paintings no doubt bought from the original artist lined the walls. The room seemed too normal for a fight to soon be hosted in it. It was too...pretty...for anything to get ruined.

It was all business as soon as we got into the room. Remy began to bolt the door, Amelie collapsed – still somehow looking prestigious and beautiful – into an armchair in the far corner of the room, and Myrnin sat behind a couch in the middle of the room.

Eve sighed and flopped down into a couch, pinching her eyes closed. When her hand fell from her face, you could see her dark eyes were bloodshot and tear stained. She took in Remy's figure by the door. "Is there even any point?" She asked, sighing again. "They'll blow their way through here like Duke Nukem anyway."

Remy finished barricading the door and then turned to face Eve, cautiously taking in her fragile form. He seemed to read her mind. "Don' worry, cheri, he'll be fine. He wouldn't stay behind if he thought he'd die from it. Trust me, we ain't that gallant."

Eve smiled briefly at him. "Thanks."

He gave an exaggerated box. "No problem. 'Tis what I do best. Well, actually, what I do best is between me and my fancy lady's, if you know what I mean..."

"Okay, Remy, thanks." Eve laughed, holding up a hand.

"Like I said, no problem." He smirked and walked away.

I closed the distance to Eve, and was about to perch on the armchair next to her before a large hand grabbed me by the back of my top and dragged me down behind the couch.

I yelled in protest, unsurprisingly looking up at Myrnin's crazy face. He didn't say anything for a few moments, and when he did, his voice was laced with forced calm.

"I believe you have some questions."

Hell yes I had some questions. But I didn't know where to start, so I began with the basic facts.

"You turned Dean into a vampire."

He nodded.

"You experimented on him to make him stronger than the rest of them." Another nod.

"You intentionally made him a psycho so he would have the instinct to kill his enemies."

He nodded again.

I paused for a second, clenching my teeth. "Why did you do it, Myrnin?" I asked, trying to search his face for any emotion.

But what I hadn't been expecting was surprise.

"Why, Claire, I had assumed Amelie had told you."

"She did. But I want to hear it from you."

Myrnin sighed, causing a few stray curly hairs to stir about his pale complexion. "It was for the town's protection."

"Yeah. I kind of know that."

He shot me an ungrateful glance. "If you would let me finish."

I shrunk back a bit. "Sorry."

"Yes, well, that's quite alright. You're under a lot of stress, as I understand, yet so are we all, and it doesn't benefit the situation when we're running from the very same thing that was created to save us, especially when most of our acquaintances are dead or-"

"Myrnin."

"Yes?"

"Get to the point."

"Oh, of course, sorry. Well, Dean was originally intended to be an experiment – a try-out, if you will. We were unsure of exactly on which terms it would be possible to create a new vampire, but then it occurred to us that we may be able to enhance the chemicals in the blood to a more viscous form. Along with this, molten iron was added to the blood."

"Making him stronger...but what about his speed?"

Myrnin shrugged. "I suspect it was paired with the strength, but I'm not sure. After a month of incubation, we examined Dean's blood again – it had mutated on it's own. How, I'm unsure of, but it had done it none the less."

"But how did you even make him?" I asked.

"Ah. An extract of Amelie's blood was mixed with Dean's before being placed in the body again. He was revived, and we planned to create an army of them to fight the threat that is coming – I suspect Amelie told you of this?"

I nodded. "But – you would have done this months ago, so the blood was mature enough to do this. Myrnin, how could you?" I whispered. "After everything he had done to me, how could you?"

Myrnin had done a lot of crazy things in the time I had known him. He had left me to die at the feast Bishop had held, he had handed Shane over Bishop when it seemed easier than staying loyal to us. So I shouldn't be surprised that he had broken my trust by doing something like this, but at the same time, I couldn't believe he had done it.

Myrnin sighed again, looking down. "Claire. I apologise for my behaviour, but it was in the town's interest, as I explained." He paused, and looked like he was going to say something else before someone tapped me on the shoulder.

I jumped up, surprised and ready to hit anything if I needed to, but I spun around to meet Remy's wounded look of confusion.

"Fear not, petite une. C'est moi."

I sighed, relaxing again. Remy was sneaky, and I didn't really appreciate him turning that sneakiness on me.

"What's wrong?" I asked, taking in his worried expression.

"I can hear someone comin'. They're runnin', and I can hear a beepin'."

I frowned before standing up, ready to run if we needed to. As I turned away, Remy caught my arm. "It's not them," he said. "Dean, I mean. It's not him. There aren't enough footsteps."

I glanced over at the door, confused. "Well if it isn't him, then who-"

I didn't get to finish my sentence, because the doors flew open.

And the room next door exploded.

Eve screamed, ducking behind the couch where Myrnin flew up to see what was going on. Remy tackled me to the ground, lying on top of me to shield me from the shrapnel that flew into the room, and I saw Amelie's other bodyguard doing the same to her.

Everything calmed down and turned silent. Remy got up, dusting himself off before giving me a hand up. What we didn't expect was what came next.

Shane ran through the room, coughing and choking, carrying a limping Michael by his shoulder. Richard followed the pair through, shooting at something we couldn't see.

Eve shrieked and sprinted over to Michael, taking his other shoulder and helping Shane carry him to the couch. They laid him down and Shane backed him away, wiping blood off of his forehead and shoving his sweat soaked hair back. Eve knelt beside Michael on the couch, smoothing his hair back while he smiled weakly up at her. "You're alive," she whispered, smiling back down at him.

He didn't respond, but put his hand over hers to still her movements.

I caught Shane watching me, and walked over to fling my arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around me, and I held him tightly.

"You're too damn heroic for you're own good," I whispered in his ear, tightening my grip around him.

"Yeah," he said back, voice croaky. He kissed my forehead. "Well at least Mike's alive. Even if we're probably about to die."

I pulled back to look into his eyes. "Don't do something like that again." I whispered. "I've lost you once already, I don't want to do it again."

Shane opened his mouth to say something, shook his head, and instead, leaned down to kiss me. It was soft at first, but then he deepened the kiss, and it darkened, twisted, until we were both clinging to each other. Shane pulled away and rested his forehead against mine, breathing hard. "When you kiss me like that," he said, voice husky, "who am I to disagree?"

I grinned, but my face fell when Oliver stormed into the room. "I hate to break up your reunion," he said, sounding like he totally wasn't regretting breaking up the reunion, "But Dean is coming. I suggest we move forwards."

Nobody needed to be told twice, so Remy and Eve helped Michael up and they began through the next doorway. Amelie, Myrnin, Oliver and the other bodyguard went next. Finally, Richard went through, looking stricken and watching the door warily.

And he had a reason. As Shane tried to pull me through, I noticed what it was.

Monica was missing.

I'll be the first to admit that Monica and I were far from best friends. Part of me wanted to just follow the rest of the group through the room, but there was a larger part that knew I couldn't do that.

I shook Shane's arm off and sprinted into the flames.

"Claire! Come back!"

I ignored him.

I plunged into the fire, covering my mouth against the smoke. Taking a leap over a group of fallen timbre, I landed hard on my ankle and gasped, only for a cloud of smoke to plunge into my lungs, making me cough and splutter. I narrowly dodged a pillar falling down, and grunts and shouts behind me told me that Shane had come in after me.

I ducked under a burning pillar, wincing as I narrowly missed the flames. I could see two burning doors on the floor up ahead, and two shadows just beyond that.

I ran-limped towards the figures when there was a crash from behind me, and I whirled around to see rubble fall on top of another shadow.

Shane.

I leaped over the pillar, rushing towards him until a single scream pierced the air, and it wasn't Shane's. It was Monica's.

Hoping to God that Shane would still be badass-supernatural-guy enough to get out of there, I spun on my heels and raced into the next room.

Monica was lying on the floor, unconscious, and Dean was standing over her, fangs bared and looking like he was going in for the kill. When he heard me approach, he looked up and smirked.

"Claire. Turned to the dark side after all?"

I didn't have an answer to that. I watched Dean carefully as I circled around the timbre, climbing over it when it came to it. Dean raised an eyebrow, and he looked like he was going to laugh.

Bastard.

I reached down and flung burning ash in his face, ignoring the pain it caused to do so. He cried out in pain, and using the distraction, I reached down and began to drag Monica's limp body over to the exit, coughing against the smoke. I stopped to let her down while I panted against the heat, before dragging her closer again.

But Dean was there in an instant, standing in the doorway and leaning one hand on the doorframe, like he was impartial to the heat.

"Don't think so," he said in a low voice before shoving me back. I tripped over Monica and tumbled to the floor, banging my head. I grunted and looked up to face him, putting on a brave face.

"So, Dean, still trying to revolt to get out of town?"

"Nah, I'm not. That's why I'm here." He said, venom practically laced in his words. "What the hell do you think?"

I shrugged, trying to feign confidence. "Just trying to make conversation."

"Well shut up."

He pushed off of the wall and came to loom over me, legs on either side of my waist. I smiled sweetly up at him, vaguely aware of the fire spreading close to my hair. "So, a mutiny, huh? Extreme."

"I told you to shut up."

"And you expect me to listen?" I barked out a laugh. I sounded like Monica. "You know you're not getting out. What are your plans, anyway? To kill Amelie?"

He shrugged. "Pretty much, yeah. And Myrnin, for turning me into this thing."

"He said you were made to protect the town." I said, all banter pushed aside.

It was Dean's turn to laugh, and it sounded manic and hysterical. "And did you think I actually wanted to do it?"

No, not really.

He laughed again before shaking his head. "Doesn't matter now, anyway." He lifted a hand up, and I turned my face to the side, waiting for the blow that was about to come.

But instead, a third voice filled the room. "Yo, jackass, hit her and I'll break your face."

Shane. Thank God.

He was okay, with barely a scratch on him. He hovered in the doorway, fists clenched, staring Dean down with those furious eyes.

Dean rolled his eyes and turned his head to face Shane. "You never understand when you're not wanted, do you?"

"Shane," I said, taking the distraction as a time to quickly get to my feet. "Take Monica and get out."

He tore his eyes away from Dean. "No. I'm not leaving you."

I shook my head, and I felt hot tears stinging in my eyes. "Please, just get Monica to Richard."

He eyed Dean again, who was staring him down. "Fine. But I'm coming back."

He grabbed Monica, looked disgusted at having to touch someone he hated, flung her over his shoulder in a not-very-gracious manner before turning and shoving his way through the timbre.

Dean laughed and turned to face me again, but I didn't have time to let him finish; I grabbed a burning plank of wood and smacked him in the face with it.

He cried in pain and scratched at his eyes, and I took the opportunity to turn and run for my life.

I jumped over timbre and heard Dean's heavy footsteps after me. I willed my feet to carry me faster, ducking under low pillars and avoiding pools of flames when it came to it. I was turning black from the ash, and was beginning to cough harder and harder, being too concerned with getting away from Dean to bother covering my mouth.

Something hit me hard from behind, and I fell to the ground with an "oof". Something was burning on my face, but I turned onto my back and stared at Dean, who had tackled me to the floor. Scratching at his face, I tried to wriggle my way out from underneath him. Eventually having had enough, he rolled off of me and made to grab my feet instead.

I kicked out blindly, and he let go suddenly when I struck his head. I scrambled to my feet and Dean shouted after me before there was the sound of falling timbre from above us. I whirled around to see the pile of collapsed wood, flames licking around the sides of it.

Dean had been crushed.

I began to run to pull him out, but I thought better of it. I didn't care whether he was the key to protecting the town; he was also the key to killing everyone in it.

I spun back around and raced through the rooms, ignoring the burning on my face when it increased. I coughed, holding my sides before I reached the room where everyone had been before, where the fire was now beginning to crawl into.

I palmed the next set of doors open, finding that the group weren't in this room, either.

At a hallway, I saw I had two options: one door took me outside, and the other took me deeper into the building. Hoping to God that I was choosing the right one, I veered left, to the door that would take me outside.

Palming the door open, I was met by the storm, which was even more violent than what it had been, and a group of people looking scared and relieved at the same time.

Richard was soothing a waking Monica, who was slumped against a pillar. Seeing that everyone else was safe and fine – even if Michael, whose head was rested on Eve's lap, looked too pale to be normal – I collapsed against the wall, catching my breath and on the edge of laughing hysterically.

Shane knelt beside me, taking my face in his hands and scanning me for any damage. He touched the part on my face that I felt burning slightly, and I winced."Is he-"

I didn't let him finish; only nodded.

Everyone fell into silence then, the only sound being the distant wailing of sirens.

Until Monica had to break it.

"And I ask, again, what the hell is going on?"

Well, folks, it's almost finished. The next chapter will probably be short and sweet, but there'll be more stories, as you know :)

I'm sorry for making you guys think that Michael was dead, though. Well, not really :P I would never kill Michael, though. Well, having said that, I did kill Shane...

Anyway, thanks to:

morganville-vamp-chick: Thanks, they went okay :) And Shane's all well and safe, as you know now :P

VampGril4EverAndEver: That's a shame about having the exam on your birthday! I'm lucky, I have my birthday in January, so I won't get an exam on it :S And that sounds sweet :] Yeah, I probably should have just let Monica die, though...hmm. Oh well :L

BrIgHtEyEdGiRl-lIvEtIlLtHeEnD: Don't worry, Michael isn't dead :D I didn't have the heart to do it, haha :P Haha, school sucks sometimes, eh?

Babygirl555: Haha, it's okay :) I'm glad you liked it, and thank you for the compliments!

Charliee: I updated as soon as I could! Hope you enjoyed :D

FrozenxxSmile: First of all, I love your new username :) Second of all, naw, Michael's not dead. I couldn't do that! Except to Shane, but that's different, because I actually think he wouldn't be able to stay dead for long :S And you wouldn't send that mob after me :O But that's Shane's mob! There's nothing worse than a mob of angry teenage girls – they'll freaking kill me! And third of all, yesh, you better not put a law against his hotness, not only because he's been in jail too many times already, but because he's too pretty. He'd get bum raped. And then, because he's too pretty, he wouldn't know it was happening. Until he wondered why his arse was itching, that is ;) xx

dixieland101: Thanks :D

Okaydoke, everyone, one chapter to go. I'm sure you're all glad, haha :L

Niki xx