Disclaimer - I don't own anything Glee or otherwise recognisable

Hey guys!
Are you ready for the start of the end? I AM! xD
Honestly, this has been such a journey with you guys and I've been blessed with you awesome people's support the whole way so thank you from the bottom of my heart. And thank you especially to all my soundings boards out there and people who have helped out with this story, you are all amazing! Also, happy bday Chloe, bit late but I said i'd get it to you ;)

Okay so, this is part 1 of the last chapter, it's unbeta'd because its fresh from the writing press, literally some of it has just been finalised a few minutes ago. So excuse the mistakes please, until I have time to sort them :P

Part 2 still has a few more things I want to add, this thing got bigger and bigger on me as I went (no surprise there) and I actually changed my mind on a lot of things I always thought would be in the end of this story so that's why it took me longer to write. I had to really wrestle and work this thing out. So Part 2 will be in the next week or two sometime, depending on life getting in the way and then the epilogue will probably be a few days after that, I'll let you know timings when I post part 2 :)

The timings of this may get a little confusing but it's kind of all happening at the same time, all running parallel so I cant really timestamp it properly, sorry!

One other thing to note. I lost Seb's dad's name somewhere in this story because I'm an irresponsible writer, if anyone finds it, please hand it back to me. He has a replacement name right now and he doesn't know if he likes it ;)

Warnings; swearing, blood, vampire things, references to violence, violence, minor character death, awful google Italian again

Once More To Get It Right

Chapter 36

"Just like that? We tell them?" Jeff asked in disbelief.

"I don't see any other options here," Kurt said, looking around them exaggeratedly.

"Okay. Now crazy is kind of my area. Crazy is my bitch. I live in crazy. I am the Mayor Supreme of Crazytown. But this idea?"

"Is most ridiculous," Elana said for him and Jeff pointed at her.

"See. I'm agreeing with your terrible sister, Kurt. That's what this idea does okay. This is just…" He shook his head, blonde hair flopping in his eyes as he searched for the words. "After we spent so long hiding you away we're just going to yell surprise and spring you out of a cake?"

"Again. If you have a better suggestion then I'm listening," Kurt said looking at all of them in turn. "I don't exactly want to do this either. But the way I see it, the only way we're even going to get their attention is providing some kind of indisputable evidence that something bigger is going on."

There was a telling silence.

Thad listened to them argue over the monitor silently; keeping one eye on them and the other on the elevator that was slowly ascending. Slowly because he may have rerouted some of the power. Maybe. The laundry room needed a little boost, okay! It only bought them a few extra minutes, however.

He hit speed dial on his phone and watched the blonde pick it up on the screen.

"You're on speaker. What's going on?" the blonde asked immediately.

"I was going to ask you that," Thad said sheepishly. "Am I letting Wes know what's going on? Or Cooper? They're with the Council now so they could evacuate them?"

"How many vampires has Waltergot with him?" Kurt asked, brow furrowed.

Thad glanced over and did a quick head count. "Six. Not unlike a personal guard."

"There's something not right about this… or we're missing it. If he was planning on threatening the Council why wouldn't he have brought more vampires?" Kurt questioned. "I mean. Six wouldn't be enough, right?"

"No," Thad confirmed, mind working it over but coming up just as blank. "So it's not a threat?"

"I would not make that assumption," Elana warned. "Mayhap he could not gather that many here publically without sounding the alarm early? Wesley should know of the danger he is in. If you do not tell him I shall."

"Great time to grow a heart, Elana," Jeff muttered under his breath and Thad watched Kurt shoot him a quelling look.

"Can you buy us some time?" Kurt asked Thad, stepping up towards Jeff and looking into the camera in the hall.

"I could stop the elevator," he said, pulling up the controls he had used to help out Blaine a couple of weeks ago on screen. "But not for long. The Council guards are still monitoring security and that includes the elevators. I can only pretend for so long that there's a problem I'm trying to fix, especially when there's a VIP in there that will probably be pissed. Besides that, there's only one way up to the Council in this place. I stop the elevator, you're stuck on that level."

"Stop it," Burt instructed and everyone on the monitor turned to face the man who had been silent up until that point contemplating the overload of information Kurt had dumped on him at once. Thad felt a little sorry for him; he was never supposed to be mixed up in this. "We can figure out another plan in the time it buys us, but every second we stand here talking about it the bad guys are getting closer, right?"

"I have a crush on your scary dad, Kurt," Jeff said in a whisper that wasn't a whisper at all.

Thad ignored the interplay however, his fingers were flying across the keyboard already. He smacked enter with satisfaction. "Okay. I've bought us maybe an hour. Maybe less," he told the phone before glancing at the monitor. Walter Smythe was pushing his way to the front, yelling at his cronies as he went. Thad smirked, wondering if he should grab some popcorn and turn the volume up.

"Okay, so Smythe senior is here… but why? What's the play here?" Jeff asked.

"Maybe he has received news of your reincarnation and seeks to draw you out," Elana said pointedly to Kurt.

He shot her a dark look. "I'm not going anywhere. You try and we'll end up in Chicago. It doesn't make sense anyway. If they knew then they could have simply called the Council and tipped them off. Why the in person visit?"

"Well he is Sebastian's father. The ego had to come from somewhere, maybe he wanted the accolades of bringing you to light himself," Jeff suggested.

"This is making my head hurt," Burt grumbled to himself. "Wait a sec. Smythe senior? So this guy has a kid?"

"Who's currently in our jail here," Jeff said cheerily.

Burt gave him a flat look. "Has anyone considered he's here for him?"

Thad snorted to himself and Kurt and Jeff shared a look. "That's even less likely than the 'they're here to blow my cover' theory. Sebastian and his dad historically hate each other from what I've gathered," Kurt explained, then sighed. "And we could stand here all day trying to hash out theories but we haven't got that kind of time. We need to figure out a way to get up there."

"I still believe informing Wesley and Cooper to be the best course of action. To prepare them at least. Leaving them in the dark serves no purpose and they may offer a better insight," Elana argued, drawing her small frame up as if ready to do battle.

"That sounds better than whatever half-baked plan you two are cooking up," Burt agreed.

"Dad-"

"Don't dad me. You want me to be fine with you running off head first into a pit of vampires! Vampires Kurt. And they're not all nice like your boyfriend, you told me that."

"I can take care of myself," Kurt said.

"Oh really," Burt scoffed, like he was two years old and 'could do it himself.'

Thad watched Kurt scowl first at his father, then at the camera. Thad winced away from the force of it. "We haven't got time to argue this. Thad. Text Wes if you want, we still have to go up there though."

"Why?" Burt demanded, almost a shout. "Why can't these guys handle it? They did it before, why can't you just leave it alone, Kurt."

Thad sympathy for Kurt's father grew twofold. He couldn't imagine what he must be feeling, thrust into this supernatural world with a child who was hell-bent on rushing headfirst into an impending war and unable to stop him.

Kurt must have heard the desperation in his voice too because his face softened even if his resolve didn't. "Because they didn't believe us when we told them about the very real rogue attacks in Ohio. Why would they believe Cooper and Wes if they say that Sebastian's dad is here to attack them? Zach told them about his family, known rogues, being in New York and they haven't done anything but talk in circles about it. They refuse to listen, so I'm going to force the issue."

"They might not react so hot to this, Kurt. Remember when we all first saw you again? Half the coven thought you were a witch or wizard using a glamour or spell to mess with Blaine," Jeff reminded him and Thad vividly recalled the idea that were floating around and the ways to 'take care of it' too.

"It'll grab their attention at least. And besides. Elana's here to verify me," Kurt said.

"What makes you think they will not think me a deception also?" Elana asked drolly.

"You're not putting yourself in danger on purpose, Kurt," Burt ordered, red in the face and hands clenched into fists. "I don't know what you're playing at-"

"I'm not playing, dad! And I'm done talking about this. Talking and never doing anything. I'm done hiding and doing nothing while everyone else take risks and gets hurt. I need to do this and it's my decision, okay!" Kurt almost shouted and Burt set his jaw; Thad could see he was just as stubborn as his son. "I'm going. You can't stop me. You can come or not. I really hope you won't, but that's your decision like this is mine," he said quietly.

There was silence in the wake of his impassioned speech.

"I need to grab something from my room first," Jeff broke it first, and Thad watched him peek his head out of Kurt's door and towards the elevator at the end of the hall.

"I don't think now is the time to save your shoes," Kurt told him, exasperated, but a hint of a relieved smile curving his lips. The universe was set to explode if Jeff wasn't ready to go wherever Kurt was if he could possibly manage it.

The blonde gave Kurt what could only have been withering look back over his shoulder. "Firstly… there is always time to save the shoes. Second, that's not what I was talking about… though now that you mention it Elana could always-"

"Not a chance you little urchin."

"Uh, guys? Maybe some focus," Thad suggested, darting his eyes back to the elevator and Sebastian's father who was smashing the intercom button. The disabled intercom button. Oops. He'd have to get someone on that right away.

"Let's go grab what Jeff needs then work out how we're scaling this building," Kurt said and they moved to the next room, Jeff dropping to the floor next to his bed and disappearing under.

"Can't you do that popping in thing that got you two here? Only land, you know, up there," Burt asked reluctantly, pointing above them. He obviously wasn't happy about Kurt's plan, but Thad imagined he had decided to go with the lesser of two evils and make sure Kurt got to where he wanted to go as safely as possible. Or he was buying time until he figured out a way to get Kurt out of there.

"Popping in?" Elana repeatedly distastefully. "It is not-"

"Really? You're doing this now?" Kurt interrupted her before she got started. He turned to his dad. "Elana can't take that many people. It takes a lot of…"

"Magic," Burt filled in. "You can say it, kid. I aint had a heart attack yet."

"That's not even a little bit funny," Kurt scolded him, before his face turned considering. "What if we combined our magic to get us all up there that way?"

Elana shook her head. "It's too dangerous. The slightest change in will or flicker of a destination in one of our minds and we could end up scattering pieces of ourselves. You and father were extremely lucky to come out of your accident unharmed. We must find another way."

"Aha!" Jeff crowed and reappeared, hair sticking up everywhere and a gun cradled in his arms like it was his firstborn. Thad zoomed in and nearly fell out of his chair. It was a tactical shotgun.

"Jesus, Mary and Joseph!" Burt swore. He practically leaped forwards to grab the thing, his parental instincts kicking in full force.

"Hey," Jeff complained as it was taken from his arms.

"How did you even get that?" Thad asked. "You weren't…" He cut himself off and facepalmed. "Nick. Of course."

"He loves me," Jeff smiled, before it fell a split second later, the uncertainty of his whereabouts sitting heavily upon him. He wasn't the only one in the room thinking it either.

"Where is everyone? Are they all alright?" Kurt asked softly, fingers moving down to play with his ring in a telling action that said 'is Blaine alright?'.

Thad swallowed and glanced towards his personal laptop. They'd needed an independent feed for Elliott to send the live stream of the meeting through to that the Council guards weren't going to pick up on the main system. Other than many tense, angry faces Thad couldn't see anything amiss from the recording. "I've got eyes on Blaine and his team, they're okay, but no one else was scheduled to check in yet. Should I recall everyone?"

"Let everyone know the situation, the New York coven members left inside the building and the Giver's too, they'll want to evacuate as soon as the elevator is free. But don't tell Blaine yet, he needs to secure that Alliance if he can. We may be needing it very soon," Kurt muttered the last.

Thad grabbed his phone and minimised the call screen with Jeff, pulling up the messenger and typing out a quick text firstly to their coven.

To; David, Dante, Gerran

CODE RED. Rogues in the building. Sitrep.

Before he could think about it he sent a separate text just to Dante.

To; Dante

Please tell me you're okay

"Okay," Jeff said and clapped his hands together. "Who's got the genius plan to get up seven floors with no stairs and no elevator?"

.

Leon blinked from his spot on the ground, clearing the black spots in front of his eyes and the ringing in his head as he came back around. He didn't know what he was doing on the floor, how he had gotten there or why, but he did know that there was something laying painfully heavy on his chest, crushing his lungs and ribs and pinning his left arm.

Groaning he used his right to push what looked to be an old oak authentic ceiling beam from on top of him and it went crashing to the ground just below his feet with a thunder. His deep gasp inwards as the weight lifted was soon stuttered out in a series of hacking coughs as his lungs filled up with the acrid taste of smoke.

Smoke.

He rolled his weary head to the left and was met with a wall of orange flame that had him rearing back and away, rolling to his hands and knees, the heat threatening to burn his face. Merda. What had happened here?

The last thing he remembered was greeting Elle and her Chosen, them welcoming he and Tristan in warmly, like true family, and then splitting up so that they could do a quick cursory sweep of the house. Tristan had taken the upstairs and Leon had stayed down seeing as the house was quite large and suddenly there had been a rending, shaking sound like thunder and then… nothing for however long he was out for. It could have only been a few seconds, a minute?

He covered his mouth with the sleeve of his black Henley, tearing the fabric off easily and wrapping it around his lower face so he had use of both hands.

As he stumbled through the damaged rooms of the west wing he quickly saw that most of the damage seemed to have been concentrated on the east, though it was quickly spreading. Right where he'd instructed Elle and her Chosen, Matthew, to wait.

The guilt threatened to send him to his knees, but he didn't have time to indulge the feeling, not with Tristan's whereabouts still unknown. The thought that anything could have happened to him nearly crippled him but he pushed forwards; through the flames and desolate thoughts both and didn't even register he wasn't alone until David was grabbing his arm and making him stop. He hissed in pain and drew back, David's eyes travelling over him to catalogue the damage. Leon followed with his own eyes and saw that his bare arm was the one that the beam had landed on and it was now covered in a slew of ugly black and blue bruises, where his forearm met his wrist was swollen to twice its size. He could only imagine was his chest looked like under the top.

"You're bleeding," David pointed out, looking at his face over the half mask, just off the side of his eyebrow.

It explained the headache, and the drying, sticky feeling on his face.

"A beam fell on my head," he said absently, ears pricked for a hint of that familiar heartbeat anywhere.

"Jesus. Where's Tristan?"

Leon growled. "I will find him."

David glanced around them speculatively, his mind working over the odds. "Leon-"

"I will find him," he enunciated clearly, before continuing towards the stairs. They were obviously unstable, some of the steps blown right out, so he judged the distance before doing some more inventive ascending using the wall and sconces there. David followed after him with a grunt, followed after him as they went through room after destroyed room, followed through the destruction as it got worse the further east they travelled.

Tristan's name was both a prayer and a plea on Leon's lips the whole time as he searched desperately, hoping against hope that he'd see him around the next corner safe and unhurt. He used to have nightmares back when he first met Tristan that were all too similar to the situation they now found themselves in. Terrible nightmares that Tristan was stuck in his family home calling for him, crying and pleading him to help, to rescue him, but he couldn't fight his way through the flames to reach him. Leon clenched his fists and shook his head. That was not reality. In no reality would he ever let anything stop him.

It was when they nearly fell through the floor in one of the many guest bedrooms that David finally snapped.

"Leon!" David growled right in his ear, yanking him back from the fall. "We have to go. The house is going to fall down around us any second now!"

The Italian snarled and shoved him away, eyes shining liquid black and reflecting twin fires. "I'm not leaving here without my Chosen.

"Leon-"

"I'm not leaving!" Leon shouted, his voice reverberating over the sound of cracking wood. "The very flames of hell could be licking at me and I would not leave! Stop me again and I will end your life," he promised darkly, then turned to call Tristan's name again as he carried on his search.

"We've searched the whole house... what's fucking left of it anyway. Where else could he be?" David still tried to talk sense into him, only, there was no sense to him in leaving. In possibly saving himself. What was life without his tesoro? Just an empty blank grey scape with no joy and no love. The thought alone nearly buckled his legs, the only thing keeping him going, keeping him sane enough not to lose complete control was that he knew Tristan was still alive in here somewhere. He was positive that if he was gone from this world to the After then he would have felt it deep in his soul, no, he just had to find him. Draw him into his arms and never let go of him ever again.

He headed towards the broken, burned out side of the house, where the explosion had been centred. Floorboards broke under his weight and fire was so hot on his face he was sure it was burning but he hardly noticed.

"Tristan!" he screamed again above the splintering and crash of wooden beams, ducking into what looked to be a child's room that was slowly being eaten up by the hungry fire. And there in the corner, almost overlooked, amongst demon flames that spread like fiery wings behind him, was his angel.

The relief was crushing, almost as debilitating as the panic from before.

"Oh thank fuck," David breathed as Leon darted towards Tristan's curled up figure on the floor. The heat in here was stifling, the smoke clogging up his lungs, but he pulled down the fabric covering his face anyway so he could speak unhindered.

Tristan did not look up. Did not seem to even register anyone else was in this burning room with him. Leon swallowed as best he could to moisten his dry throat and reached a hand out to hover just over his head, not touching, but shaking with the need to. "Tesoro?"

Movement caught his attention and he glanced down to see that in his Chosen's arms he held a bundle of blankets; a whimpering, screaming bundle of blankets.

Cristo.

It was Lucca.

He glanced back up and saw that Tristan's dirty, sooty face had twin streaks that had been cut through from the weight of terrified tears and Leon realised with a sudden sickening feeling that this was the second time he had been left in a burning building to die. The vacant look in his loves eyes told him that he wasn't even in this fiery room, he was instead in another far back in the past, and this time he was too lost in painful memory to save himself.

"Tristan?" Leon murmured to him, palm cupping his face as he looked him over for any injuries. He checked Lucca as well, who was red faced with his screams, rightfully just as terrified as the vampire holding him so tightly. He seemed to be unharmed as well, though the smoke inhalation would soon be a critical issue. Vampire younglings were hardier then say, human infants, but they were by no means indestructible.

"Leon, we have to go. Now! This whole place is going to come down," David shouted to him over the sound of violent cracks of the house's structure laying down in defeat.

"David? Leon? Tristan!" they heard the familiar sound of Zach shouting from somewhere in the house.

David cursed, then shouted back, "Zach. Get out of here, we'll met you on the lawn with the prisoner."

There was a pause. "About that…"

David's curse's got more colourful. "We'll deal with it when we get out of this hellhole. Move your ass, Kensington!" he ordered before he turned back to them in the corner. "You want me to carry him?"

Instead of answering, Leon got his arms around both of them and lifted them up easily despite the pain in his chest and arm and throbbing still in his head. He moved towards the exit only to stumble backwards when a beam groaned, splintered, then gave way, creating a fiery barrier across the doorway. Tristan whimpered into his neck and Lucca's wailing got higher in pitch, his heart-breaking cries doubling up with Tristan to make the worst sound Leon had ever heard.

David growled in frustration, forearm covering his mouth as he scanned the room for a better option. "The window."

The wooden rocking chair from next to the crib broke the glass before David kicked the remaining pieces out and scanned below them critically. "It's a clean drop. I'll go first then help steady you on the ground." Then he leapt through into the fresh, night air.

Leon took his place at the window, the faint feel of clean air on his face a welcome relief, like an oasis in a desert. David widened his stance in the crushed flowerbed below them and Leon caught the sight of Zach's blurred figure making his way towards them from the left. Without warning the beam blocking the door behind them fell through the floor, taking most of the blackened wood around it out too. Pieces started falling away like a raised puzzle and Leon looked down at the two innocent males in his arms and jumped.

.

"We could really use Wes' gavel right now," Adam whispered to Blaine as they watched the room, which had exploded into growls, threats and arguments five minutes in, continue to ignore them in favour of airing old grievances.

"Your territory," the Shifter representative barked, her eyes glowing gold and pupils slitting like a cat's; they looked remarkable next to the dark pallor of her skin. Blaine knew that if this carried on they'd have a very pissed off lioness on their hands in a few seconds.

"You shifter's have no claim to land," the grizzle faced Alpha werewolf, Quint, growled. "I don't even know why you're here, you do not speak for your species. They have no loyalty to you or even to each other."

Akila roared, deep in her chest, teeth elongating into sharp points, stance going low and her two guards following the move. "You flea bitten wretches!"

"It always comes back to loyalty with you mutts," the wizard in the corner, Bartholomew, who looked like a young Dumbledore with only a dusting of grey in his hair, griped, clearly bored with the whole situation. "So blinded by loyalty and fostering it that you miss the bigger picture. It's a wonder your species have survived this long."

Blaine rubbed a weary hand over his face before he decided he was well and truly fucked off with this whole game. There was no whistle, shout or growl that was going to be listened to over the din; he'd already tried. So Blaine simple put his fist through the nearest wall and ripped out what he found there. A rusty pipe. He weighed it in his hand for a second, met Elliott's confused gaze for another before he hurled it at the wall, straight between Quint's and Bartholomew's heads.

They reared back from each other; the bent metal lodged where it had hit behind them, debris and dust scattering around them and stunned silence ruling as it settled.

It definitely got their collective attention.

"What's the meaning of this, vampire?" the New York witch coven leader, Samaire, asked, dangerously low. "You draw weapons on us?"

Brit Adam snorted. "Hardly a weapon, darling, we could do more damage with our hands than that pipe."

"Who said the help could talk?" Bartholomew drawled, which drew a reaction from all the 'lower' cast creatures there. Samaire smirked, throwing her dark fall of hair over her bare shoulder. Wizards and witches didn't have any love for one another but they historically formed a wall when squaring off against other supernatural species.

"I invited you here to discuss a problem which will affect all of our species if it's left unchecked and you'd rather spend your time sniping at each other and pointing petty fingers," Blaine snarled at them, walking to the middle of the room and looking at them all in turn. Most were hard in the face of the accusation, some offended. Blaine didn't care at this point. "You all know what I'm talking about. You've either seen the problem or sensed it coming. You wouldn't be here if you didn't, so what say you?"

"You have yet to propose anything," Quint said neutrally, thick banded arms crossing across an equally wide chest.

"It is a vampire issue," Akila added.

Elliott snorted and got a dark glare in return which he ignored as easily as he did everything else. "You think the Rogues are going to stop at us? You want to go back to the days where they were taking bloodslaves by the dozens? I seem to remember you guys not doing so well out of that deal."

Akila's eyes flashed again.

"We have Giver's from all your species residing in covens across the country. They're all going to be caught up in a war and the rogues won't take prisoners. They'll take dinner," Blaine said bluntly. "You want to revisit the past then fine. Do nothing. Walk out of the door."

"You offer us nothing as incentive," Bartholomew stated, thin face as shrewd as his tone. "You threaten, but you do not give us a reason to join you in a battle that is all of your own making. This rogue problem should have been weeded out and killed long ago. You lazy, self-absorbed, pompous bloodsuckers think you are so implacable. The standard to which we all should aspire to raise ourselves," he mocked, dark eyes pining Blaine to the floor. "But you forget that you are staring at your past selves. Those rogues of yours, they are what you came from. You are waging war against your true nature."

Blaine didn't have a rebuttal for that. Had no leg to stand on because it was the truth. They had allowed this to happen through their wilful ignorance. After they won the war there was attempts to weed out rogue sympathisers and active participants in the opposition but the Council, gods, everyone knew that this wasn't the end of it. There was always whispers and rumours which they'd all happily disregarded and through that disregard, they had allowed Marcus Polland all the room he needed to lay his plans. Fuck, they may have just handed him a handwritten notice signed by the Council that said; WELCOME TO ATTACK.

"We all must fight against ourselves to be better and we lost many in that battle. But we did it because we wanted to be better, we didn't want to be what we were. And if we were so high and mighty, would we be here now? Asking for your help?" Adam asked softly, showing wisdom and understanding beyond his years. His golden heart softening the room a degree and Blaine thanked the gods and Adam's parents who had made this vampire what he was today.

"I did not hear anyone ask for help," Samaire spat, not sucked in, or simply immune to it. Her blue eyes were icy and cold. "I would like to hear it. From the Anderson brat. I would like to hear him beg for our help."

"Why should he beg?!" Elliott tossed back to her, outraged, his cheeks flushing with just how angry he was. "When you treacherous crones have been helping Marcus all along!"

Samaire drew herself up, nimble fingers curling into claws as she stepped forwards, a curse no doubt on the tip of her tongue.

"Enough!" Blaine snapped at them. "I don't think so highly of myself that it would bother me if you asked me to get on my knees and grovel for your help. We need it. We need you. All of you. So help us. Please."

"Your Council knows of this meeting?" Quint asked dubiously, perceptively.

"They won't see reason and I'm not asking for them," Blaine admitted. He was hoping they wouldn't bring them up. This was likely to be the deal breaker that they didn't have to backing of the Council to authorize any action or Alliance.

Akila drew backwards, closer to the door. "We cannot afford to displease the Council."

"There won't be a Council left to displease if you leave," Brit Adam told her frankly. He shoved his hands in his pockets. "And there's something else you should know. You particularly."

The lion shifter frowned. "What?" When he didn't follow the statement up she looked to Blaine. "What?" she repeated more forcefully.

"Marcus Polland has managed to obtain some rare forms of shifters. We don't know how many or what or who they are, but he's been using them to extract a form of poison. A poison that is highly effective on vampires, and we suspect, all forms of supernatural creatures."

Akila froze.

"How do we know they aren't working voluntarily for Marcus?" Quint asked and there was something in the way he said it that caught Blaine's attention.

"They would never," Akila roared and her two companions bared their teeth too.

"Have any werewolf packs been approached by Marcus?" Blaine asked, eyes narrowed.

Quint rolled his jaw, looking at the foaming Akila once before admitting, "There have been stirrings. But werewolves are loyal," he stressed the word with a dark look in Bartholomew's direction. "None have broken ranks."

"Actually," Brit Adam interjected. "We have one rogue werewolf in our custody. Kessa Verlain. She doesn't seem to know anything about Polland and we suspect she had no intention of joining him. Her crime was still serious however. She purposefully endangered a Chosen, then crossed territories here to New York without being invited to try and garner favour here for her deed."

Quint didn't look surprised by this information. "We were informed. She will be collected and properly punished if it is permissible?"

"Very loyal," Bartholomew scoffed. "What happens to bad dogs? Do they not get a bone?"

"You are testing my patience wizard," Quint warned him and Blaine noticed his weight shifted to the balls of his feet, as if ready to spring.

Blaine kept one eye on the werewolves while turning his head to the left. "Elliott, set it up. Work with Thad on his end."

"Aye, aye, Captain!"

"I still haven't gotten an answer," Blaine said to them all. "This will be the only time the offer will be there. And no, that isn't a threat, merely a statement of fact. If we can't come together now, for the benefit of all our races, then we never will. So there, that's you incentive. You want to live in a world where Marcus reigns free then that's your choice to make. I would rather live in a world where we can put our differences and work together for a future that isn't stained by the likes of him and others like him."

"A stirring speech," Samaire sneered.

"The truth," Adam said strongly, staring her down.

"You seem to be under the impression that we witches are worried about this Marcus. Believe me, he has been on our radar far longer than he has been on yours," she said to him, cutting her sharp gaze back to Blaine.

"Because he was recruiting witches to try and gain access to magic," Blaine stated.

She scrutinised him for a moment. "Vest has been telling tales I see."

"That tale, as you put it, has a little to do with me," he returned tensely.

She smirked, a parody of a concession to him that made him want to bare his fangs and sink them into her neck and yank.

"What is it that you are looking for here?" Quint asked. "An alliance, yes? Help, okay. But under what terms? Your Council knows nothing about this so are you claiming responsibility and leadership? Are we to pledge our races to you?"

Blaine stilled, a slither of panic winding its way up his spine to settle at the back of his neck, heavy and ready to incapacitate him. "I am no longer leader of anything… my brother Cooper and Wesley Montgomery-"

"Are not here," Akila interrupted, her golden eyes assessing him. "I will offer no type of fealty to someone I have never met. So what say you Blaine Anderson? Will you take up this Alliance you are trying to convince us into?"

Blaine worked his jaw for a second and looked to the others who were silent, waiting for his answer. Samaire didn't even pipe up to say she wouldn't join if he was in charge. That panicked slither grew larger as the weight of it all came crashing down on him in a second. He didn't want to be a leader of anything, leadership had brought him tragedy in the end. And to be at the head of an Alliance like this one? He lost a breath just contemplating it. No. He wasn't the one to lead this; to drive them into battle and hand out orders and accept responsibility for all those inevitable deaths.

"I can assure you that my brother and coven leader are perfectly honourable. Wesley more so than any creature I have ever met. Any Alliance would be in capable hands with him," he said.

"Are you scared little Anderson?" Samaire cooed, taking a single step forwards. She knew what she was doing with that one action and it was broadcast to the whole room. She was encroaching on the space he held in the middle of the room, a clear challenge.

Blaine glared at her, drawing himself up. "If I were not scared then I would be a fool. But I am not a coward either. I'll see this through."

"At last, some form of sense drivels out of your mouth," Bartholomew said. "Maybe you aren't such a lost cause."

"You'll see this through as what though?" Akila asked, cat eyes narrowed. "A leader or a soldier?"

"We will join ranks with you to fight Polland, Blaine Anderson. You are honourable, even if you are a bloodsucker and the rogues have plagued us for too long. They think it is their right to prey on us but let's see how they like being hunted," Quint declared with a growl. His companions yipped in agreement, excitement visibly rising in the prospect of a hunt.

"We too, will pledge ourselves to the cause if you are to coordinate it. We would like to see our brothers and sisters freed," Akila said the last with her chin raised.

"Seems it's all down to you, little Anderson," Samaire told him. "Will you do what you were born to do and lead or will you let your fear consume you and hide some more behind everyone else?"

Blaine sucked in a sharp breath as her words struck true. "I will not hide," he said lowly.

"But will you lead?" the wizard asked.

An image of Kurt's broken body flashed before his eyes and he closed them against it. That had been the price of his leadership. The reward for his hubris. He had thought himself untouchable then. Blessed by the gods above. And then it had all come rising up to choke him in blood.

"It would be an honour to be led by you again, Blaine," Adam said softly.

"I…" Can't.

But. This Alliance was dependent on him saying yes this very moment. There would be no second chance, he could feel it in his bones. This was it. One of those moments that defined you, a crossroads that would forever lead you down one path, never to travel the other.

He pictured Kurt again; healthy, vibrant, alive Kurt who was waiting for him in Geldian right now and what he would say. How he would smile at him and look at him with those eyes he loved and remind him that he had a family who he loved and needed to protect. Cooper, his dumbass of a brother who he had only just got back into his life. Wes, who had only now just found a slice of happiness for himself after so long of securing and protecting other peoples. David, who deserved to find that happiness too instead of trying to find happiness at the bottom of a glass. Tristan and Leon who deserved some peace to just be themselves without any pressure of threats. Nick and crazy Jeff who were like the rock of their weird dysfunctional family, when there was something wrong with them, they all felt weird. Zach who had found family and acceptance in Adam after the ordeal with his biological family and Adam who was sweet and selfless and who had the most pure heart of any creature he had ever met. The three terrors; Spencer, Gerran and Keith who had far more years of lunacy and trouble lined up for them. Trent, who always got pushed to the background but would one day find his moment to shine. And Thad, who only ever wanted to help people, who never wanted to let anyone down.

Blaine couldn't, wouldn't, jeopardise them if he had a way to stop it.

"I'll lead," he said steadily, reopening his eyes.

"Very well," Bartholomew said. "We will return to our respective races and inform them before we discuss the details in a… much more civilised area and manner."

"Samaire hasn't agreed," Brit Adam stated, holding her gaze. "I'd like her word too. Can't be too careful."

She smirked. "Perceptive one." She turned back to Blaine. "We agree to help. As far as our help extends will be a topic of discussion for a different day."

Blaine nodded. "Thank you. All of you. Elliott. Let Thad know-"

"Already on it fearless leader," the vampire in question cut in cheekily, fingers flying across his keyboard.

"We'll be in touch," Bartholomew intoned, moving to exit the room, only to stop short.

"Shit. No that's not… that's not right," Elliott muttered to himself, hunkering down closer to the laptop screen and hitting a single button over and over.

"What's up?" Brit Adam asked, stepping over.

"The feed went dark."

Blaine got a pit in his stomach immediately.

"Well un-dark it," Brit Adam suggested.

Elliott shot him a disgusted look. "It doesn't work like that. It shouldn't be dark in the first place. I set this up myself! It shouldn't be…"

Blaine licked his lips, heart beginning to pick up speed. "It shouldn't be what?"

Elliott met his eyes over his shoulder. "Uh. We may have a problem. A big problem."

.

"Uh. We may have a problem. A big problem," Thad's voice said from the phone in Jeff's hand.

Kurt grunted as he hoisted himself up the vines he, Elana and Jeff had overgrown from a simple potted plant in Jeff's room. The idea had been the kind of insane, out of the box thinking that only Jeff could achieve and Kurt had doubted that, 'Why don't we just make our own stairs?' would have worked, especially when combined with the words, 'We have everything we need. Mr Ivy Plant will help us, like Jack in the Beanstalk, you know?'. But they were lacking in options and even less lacking in time to brainstorm so they went with it with the logic of: sometimes all you were left with was crazy… and even less of those times, but occasionally, crazy worked.

And so began the task of vanishing a hole big enough for them to fit in the ceiling, through to the floor of the room above without alerting anyone. Thad was helping with that thankfully. Then it was a combined effort to coax the poor unsuspecting house plant to grow not only in length, not only in size and strength to take their weight, but also upwards to curl around something solid to provide a sort of amalgamation of a rock wall and a ladder. And then they had to climb the thing… for seven stories… to confront the Council with his alive-ness as well as inform them that murder vampires were here to murder them, all the while most of his friends were unaccounted for. To say the least the combination of magical drain, mental worry and physical activity was exhausting him quickly, but stopping wasn't an option.

He remained face down on the carpet of a disused guest room for a second, catching his breath as he processed Thad's words. "What now? Is the sky falling? Hell rising?" he mumbled into the fibres.

There was a beat of silence that had Kurt's stomach turning over. He raised his head up just as Thad said, "The feed just went dark on Blaine and his team."

Kurt stumbled to his feet. "W-what? I thought-"

"I don't know if he cut it or something's interfering with the signal or… I don't know, I'm sorry," Thad said, distressed. Kurt could picture him clearly; working fruitlessly on his laptop… only there was nothing on the other end any more.

Stars... don't you dare do this to me Anderson.

"That doesn't mean… you said things were looking okay right?" Jeff said, tossing the phone to Kurt as he yanked himself upwards over the edge, feet scrabbling for purchase. Kurt nearly dropped it his hands felt so numb.

"Well, y-yeah. Elliott sent me a message talking about Kessa and how the werewolves were going to collect her. We arranged a time and everything… then it was just gone," Thad explained.

Elana was the next one to struggle upwards, her dress where she'd reluctantly ripped at the front it for easier movement was looking more tattered than ever and her hair was sticking to her damp temples. She was the least used to physical exertion out of all four of them, but she tried valiantly to keep up a composed front over her pants and grunts and they all pretended to ignore them.

"It's fine," Kurt said decisively, raising his chin in defiance. "He's fine. I know… he's fine," he repeated once more. He fought down the desire to rush directly to where Blaine was to check for himself. "Let's keep going before something else happens."

"Kurt…" Jeff trailed off, looking sympathetic but Kurt shook his head sharply once.

"Uhh," Thad's tentative voice pre-empted. "One more thing."

"You're seriously raining on us right now, my cute little cloud," Jeff sighed.

"I-I'm not doing it on purpose. I've just got all these screens and all I can do is watch them and-"

"You are doing a fine job, Thad Harwood. What is the problem?" Elana cut him off as Kurt headed over to give his dad a hand up as the top of his cap popped into view.

"Hunter's in with Sebastian."

"Aint he in jail?" Burt huffed, coming up to his feet. He was bearing up well under the stress, the shotgun secured with a makeshift strap over his shoulder.

"Hunter just so happens to be the jailor," Jeff said, eyeing the gun again like he had done a million times since it had been taken away from him.

Burt narrowed his eyes on the blonde and shifted it more out of view before asking, "And why is that bad then?"

"Because Hunter is kind of in love with him. In a more serious and complicated magical way because I don't think they really like each other all that well right now. Anyways. He was banned from seeing him for the foreseeable future when he had the ability to let him free," Jeff rounded out.

"Is he letting him out now?"

"N-no… I don't know. They're arguing it looks like," Thad explained lamely. "But the first thing he did after getting my text that the Washington coven was here was go and see Seb. Do you think that's… bad?"

Who knows anymore? Kurt didn't have the capacity to deal with this. He was doing his best to have a plan and act like he knew what he was doing, but the truth was that this was all terrifying to him and he was fumbling through as best he knew how.

"Just… shit… keep an eye on it, it's all we can do, we haven't got time to make a detour. We're going too slow as it is," Kurt sighed, peering down the makeshift vine ladder they had created. They'd only managed three floors thus far. Not even half way in nearly the whole hour Thad had bought for them. "Has anyone else checked in yet?"

"No." He sounded so defeated, like Marcus had already won and Kurt couldn't afford to go down that path of thinking as well. He'd never surface again.

Kurt licked his dry lips. "Right. Okay." He shook his head free of the worries that wanted to cripple him, avoiding his dad's scrutinising gaze. He knew the man was just biding his time for the right opportunity to get him out of here as fast as was humanly possible… only, he didn't think his dad quite realised that 'humanly' fast enough wasn't shit right now. "How's Walter doing?"

"Angry. Red. Red and angry. Like Attack of the Killer Tomatoes," Thad described and Kurt cracked a small smile at that tiny victory. "I don't think you have much more time though. Any minute one of the Council guards could check the elevator feed and notice the problem and they're going to work out it was me pretty quickly," the vampire worried.

"We'll just have to speed up then. We can do this," Kurt said with fake confidence. He looked around and noticed that none of them bought a word of it. "We have to do this."

"We can try," Jeff said, loosening up his arms needlessly for another bout of magic. "We're awesome. Awesome always triumphs."

"Such profound words of wisdom," Elana drawled, hands trying to tidy up her hair to no avail. "You should be a scholar."

"What about the guards?" Burt asked suddenly. "I assume there's gotta be quite a few up there guarding this Council. Have you thought about getting past them while you were planning this big reveal speech in your head, Kurt?"

The prince grit his teeth. He knew his dad was only doing this because he cared about him, wanted to make him see reason, but he couldn't deal with his dad's passive aggressiveness right now on top of everything else. He was frayed to his last thread already and he needed his dad to strengthen him, not pull at that last fibre.

Elana cleared her throat, bringing his attention around. They shared a quick glance between them that spoke of a lot; all those lessons in the palace gardens over the last few weeks. "We can take care of them," Kurt said, no false confidence this time.

.

From; Kitten

CODE RED. Rogues in the building. Sitrep.

From; Kitten

Please tell me you're okay

Call; Kitten

CALL FAILED.

To; Kitten

We're fine. Disturbances are distractions, headed back now. Get everyone out!

Call; Kitten

CALL FAILED.

To; Kitten

Thad? Tell me you're out

Call; Kitten

CALL FAILED.

Call; Kitten

CALL FAILED.

Call; Kitten

CALL FAILED.

To; Kitten

Please pick up. You're scaring me

To; Kitten

Thad?

To; Kitten

I love you, please be okay

"He's still not-" Dante cut himself off, one hand ripping at the roots of his hair as looked up from his phone, which was still excruciatingly blank since that last text.

Thad always had his phone on hand, always answered it without fail, but none of his texts had been returned and his calls just bounced back every time he tried ever since they reached phone service coverage since there hadn't been any back at the cabin. Something was wrong. He could feel it deep down, right at the core of him, in that same place he had felt that connection with Thad the first time he met him. He slammed a fist into the dashboard and it absorbed the hit by crumpling inwards.

Fighting for control he glanced out of the window, quickly gaining his bearings and a volcano eruption of anger got ready to spew forth its molten destruction as he realised just where they were. "Luna" he growled and it only fuelled that magma rage bubbling inside him when she didn't so much as bat an eyelash. "Luna!" he barked. "This isn't the way back. What the fuck are you doing?!"

"What?" Nick piped up from the backseat, leaning forwards between the headrests, the streetlights casting vicious shadows on his tense face. "What the hell is going on?"

"We need to recall as many people as we can before we return. Since none of them are answering communications we will retrieve them ourselves," Luna told them; as ever, no beating around the bush, just straight up 'this is what we're doing and you're going to shut the fuck up and follow'.

And normally Dante was okay with that. He was a pretty chill vampire he liked to think outside of his exam or surgical room. But that was before he had someone to protect, someone he cared about beyond the known reaches of the universe and he wasn't above using his medical knowledge to inflict the most pain on anyone, or thing, that got in his way.

"My Chosen is in that building!" Dante snarled.

"My whole fucking world is!" Nick shouted and upholstered his weapon, flicked the safety off and pointed it straight at Luna's head without remorse. "Take me back there right fucking now."

"You are being emotional," she drawled dryly, completely unbothered by the prospect of getting her brains splattered across the windshield. She was still concentrated; weaving in and out of traffic like threading a needle. "If you take a step back then you will see this is the best course to helping your Chosen's."

"How the hell is not being there as fast as possible the best thing for them?" Dante spat, fangs elongating and temperature rising even higher. He was on the edge of his control right now, struggling and strangling the part of himself that wanted to black out and go feral. He'd never had any issues with his control before, not even a flutter, and as he got on in years that control only got stronger; it was part of the reason why he made such a good doctor. Now though, it was all shot to hell. "There are rogues already inside and the gods only know how many more on the way. Turn the fucking car around now."

Nick dropped the gun and tucked it back in his holster. He scooted towards the door and said, "Fuck it. We could have run faster there anyway. I don't know why the fuck I got in this slow piece of shit."

"Nick," Trent said quietly, trembling. "I think… I think we should maybe listen to her. There's strength in numbers after all."

Nick shook his head, face suddenly looking every one of his years in the harsh highway light. "I've never left him. Not ever for over three hundred years and I can't… I just can't. I… I'm sorry. I have to get to him. I'm useless like this. You'll be better off without me," he said and that was the last thing before he threw the door open and tucked and rolled.

Trent dove forwards and Dante sure if he was grasping for the door or his friend, either way it was the handle he landed on and he pulled it shut before it got knocked off. He sat back slowly, staring at the door with an unsettled expression on his face at the disappearance of his friend at such a tense time. Trent was the sort of vampire who needed that reassurance in order to keep pushing forwards, but now that it was gone, he looked lost. Dante, however, thought that what Nick had done was the best idea he seen all night and reached for the handle on his door as well.

"My brother is back there. You think I have not considered heading straight there?" Luna said into the silence suddenly.

Dante stilled despite the overwhelming desire he was feeling to just go and not look back. All it was chanting at him was a chorus of; Thad, Thad, Thad. He clenched down on his back teeth and turned his head incrementally to see Luna glancing at him from the corner of her eyes, still driving like a pro speed demon despite losing passengers.

"We must retrieve as much of the joint covens as possible if this is an attack. They have divided us on purpose, thinking we will be weak." She gave him the effect of her full attention this time, hard stare going right through him. "I will not give them the satisfaction of winning so I will do what is necessary to benefit the greater collective."

"I can't think like that. I can't. You don't understand this feeling. How it's… how much it hurts," Dante told her, voice breaking. "It may make me a monster but all I can think about is him. I need to make sure he's safe."

His phone rang in that moment and he scrambled to answer it, heart racing. "Thad?"

"A bit taller and a lot more burned and pissed off, so no cigar," David's voice drawled over the line and Dante's heart sank, but it at least distracted him somewhat from his plan to jump ship.

"Burned!? Are you okay? What happened?"

"Who's burned?" Trent squeaked from behind him.

"Rogues decided to blow up the Galleano residence. Two casualties, both dead. Leon is a little banged up, he was inside and close to the bomb when it went off. It's the Galleano baby and Tristan I'm worried about though. They haven't got any physical injuries from what I can see but I don't know anything about smoke inhalation or shock or anything like that," David explained and Dante let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding.

People were dead already. No. His cousin was already dead, no matter that he had only just met her. She was family. Part of his family was already dead. It made the pounding of his heart and desire to find Thad right now even greater.

"Cristo," he swore, rubbing a shaking hand over his face. Focus. Concentrate. Breath. Okay, yes, good, at least that mantra was somewhat helpful as he asked of them, "Is their breathing laboured?"

"I don't know, Dante, fuck. They both haven't stopped crying and the baby is screaming! How am I supposed to tell?"

"Are they coughing excessively?" he asked, a trace of his former professionalism seeping through.

"The only time the little one takes a breather from screaming is to cough. Tristan doesn't seem so bad though. He's the one in shock I think, he won't let go of the baby or Leon. Shit… I don't know, I need a doctor over here, Zach and I don't know shit," David stressed pointedly.

Dante's hand tightened on the phone and he threw his head back into the rest forcefully as the impulses inside him waged war. Doctor against Chosen. He knew which would win out in the end, what was already winning in both his heart and head… but was that the right thing? It felt right to him… but… to leave a helpless, innocent baby of all things who had just been orphaned and may have lung damage to fend for itself while he did a potential suicide run? Even his skewed mind could admit there was something wrong with that. "Have you heard from anyone from back home?" he asked roughly.

Please say yes, he thought. Please tell me he called you and let you know he was okay, that he had gotten out, that he's waiting somewhere for me.

"I got a text from Thad to say that rogues were in the building, but that was timed a while ago and I haven't been able to get a hold of anyone at home base since seeing that."

Dante closed his eyes and swallowed over the glass feeling in his throat.

"I only just started ringing around anyone else, Nick directed me to you. I couldn't talk any sense into him," David muttered, sounding worried. "We need to get out of this area before any rogues or humans get an idea to come check the damage for themselves, so we're going to head southeast, you know the spot. We have it on good authority that the Kensington's are definitely here and definitely in play from the firework show we were just a part of so we all need to watch our asses. This thing has just officially gone off."

"Luna and Trent can be there to meet you," Dante said, referring to the safe house David had indicated.

David was silent for a moment and Dante knew he had noticed the exclusion. "I know you want to rush after Thad okay, I get it. Nick's already set the example… but people need you right now and Thad… he's got people looking after him back there. People who have loved him and looked out for him for a long time. You have to trust that."

"I can't trust that," Dante refuted, teeth gritted. He wished he could because on a certain level he knew it was a logical, reasonable argument. He was anything but logical or rational right now, however. And if something were to happen to his kitten and he didn't even try to reach him? He didn't know what he'd do. How could he live with that? How could he reconcile himself to so short a time with a person as amazing as Thad? His person. He had been missing something for so long in his life, incomplete and restless, searching it out in other people to try and assuage the feeling, but what he was missing all along was one tiny person. This adorable, brilliant young vampire that lit up his life as soon as he saw him and he would fight for them. For him. For both of them.

The only question left in contention now was how.

"You're best used treating any casualties we have. That's how you help Thad," David saidbluntly, like he was speaking directly to his anxious, roiling mind. "You have no training for fighting other than brutal force and that will only get you so far against these guys. Thad wouldn't want you storming the castle okay, think about it for a second before you go tearing off like Nick. It's stupid and careless and it's only going to get you killed and where does that leave Thad? When the time comes… I'll make sure you're first in line to get Thad alright? But not this way."

Dante was breathing hard by the end of it, David's words clashing against the ones that were chanting at him to go now, leave, fight, and wrestling with them. He could imagine what Thad would say. How he would look at him if he knew he ignored helping a child to come and put himself in danger to try to get to him instead. The disappointment he could imagine in his face was like a blow and it sharpened up his senses more than anything else.

"We're not leaving them in there with them. We're going to get them," Dante growled out harshly. "I'm going to get him."

"Like I said. We regroup, we make a plan and then we strike. I'll make sure you're there, I vow it," David promised.

There was a heavy silence as Dante weighed everything and fought with his natural instincts. "We're headed to you. Southeast," he finally said and he felt Luna swing the car that way without being told where they were going, already knowing since she was the main person setting the safe houses up.

"This is the right thing, Dante. It's what he would want. I'll keep ringing around and see if I can contact anyone else," David said before hanging up.

Please forgive me, he thought to Thad. Please be okay until I can get to you.

The building they arrived at was a nondescript warehouse; ugly, squat and sturdy like all its companions and it was perfect for a safe house. There weren't any windows, just one solid metal door in the front and back and a reinforced loading bay for vehicles. The locations of these safe houses across the city had been kept a secret of the highest order and Dante was almost one hundred percent positive the rogues didn't have the location of them.

Luna stepped out of the car and up to the door, midnight braid catching the strong crosswind that had started up. She either said something to someone behind it or the camera on the wall recognised her face because in the next moment she was stepping back towards the car and the loading bay shutters were raising.

Once they parked they headed inside and it didn't look much different from the outside in decoration, the walls were grey and the florescent lights cast a sickly glow on the huge area that was cut into sections for some form of privacy. There were some bright pieces of furniture scattered here and there to try and warm the place up, but they failed miserably.

There were already familiar faces here of some of their out of residence coven members, all anxious and scared, and they were all crowded around one spot in the room. Dante headed straight that way, already having an idea of who it was they were centred around. And the closer he got, the more he picked up on the sound of quiet, hoarse crying underneath the mash of different voices all fighting for space.

"Cooper sent out the code for us all to evacuate, but where is he?" one voice asked.

"And where is the Council? Are they safe?" came another to the right.

"Why are the rogues a-attacking.? I thought this was over. Why hasn't the Council done anything?" a female cried into the shoulder of her Chosen.

"My friend. My friend still isn't here yet. You have to get her, she's only in her two hundredth year!" said the one tugging at David's arm and Dante felt a twinge in his chest that he strove to ignore.

The doctor pushed through the hysteric throng and came up short on Leon holding Tristan and the Galleano baby on the floor. Like they'd simply collapsed there after getting mobbed and decided to hunker down instead of forging through. Dante didn't blame them, David and Zach were doing their best to field questions about what had happened from what he could understand of it but when one was answered it seemed like fifty more followed. And this was on top of the pair asking people to give the three on the floor some space. Nothing seemed to be getting through to the crowd though.

Dante crouched down and met his cousin's worried gaze over the top of Tristan's head, the face below that was hiding beneath stringy hair and trying to disappear into Leon's neck was soot and tear streaked. Cristo. They could have lost them tonight. He had been so preoccupied with his worry for Thad and trying to keep control, still was, that the events of the night hadn't all sunk in properly yet. Looking at them now, brought down so low, slammed it all home. He could have lost two cousins tonight.

"È bello vederti," he said to him and looked him over with a wry crooked smile. The male had blood all over him, but his eyes dilated properly under the light from what he could see and he seemed lucid enough so there didn't seem to be cause for alarm right now. "Such as you are."

Leon couldn't quite manage a smile in response, only tightened his arms over his precious cargo. "I owe you much, cousin of mine. Probably more than I can ever repay," he said in a rough, husky version of his normal timbre. The smoke had done its work on him, and the house had done the rest.

Dante averted his eyes from Leon's all too sincere ones that held too much gratitude for him to stomach and held on to his resolve. "It's my job. Thad is doing his," he managed to get out, clenching and unclenching one fist at his side.

"Si. I would bet a country on it," Leon confirmed.

Dante nodded, not trusting himself to speak on the subject any longer and moved his eyes over Tristan, who was staring into nothingness, quietly assessing what he was dealing with. The young Chosen's grip on Leon's hand was white knuckled and his hold on the baby cradled in an ash stained, white blanket was even tighter. His non responsiveness was worrying, but still not cause for him to rush him to the makeshift clinic they had set up here (and at every safe house scattered around New York). The baby, however… he wasn't crying anymore, or screaming, or coughing… and that sent up alarm bells in Dante's head immediately.

He moved forwards to see if he could get a better read on the little guys breathing, reaching out a hand to shift the blanket, but as soon as he got close Tristan went berserk.

"NO!" he screamed, kicking his legs out at Dante and pulling the boy closer to his chest. Dante barely avoided a foot to the chest and fell backwards out of the way as Tristan continued to chant, "No, no, no, no, no. Go away, go away!"

The crowd around them was momentarily stunned into silence and Leon jumped into action trying to contain his wild flailing so he wouldn't hurt himself or the baby.

"Shhh, tesoro," Leon soothed him, cradling his head in his large palm and pulling his face into his neck to try calm him down. "Dante only wants to help. You know him. You're safe now, safe here with me. I've got you haven't I? You and little Lucca. I've got you both."

The little guy still hadn't woken up despite the noise and activity and Dante prayed that it was just because he had exhausted himself and not for anything more serious. He wouldn't know for sure until he examined him, but he didn't know how he was going to be able to with Tristan like this.

"They did it again," Tristan sobbed, almost inaudibly, the arm pressed against Leon's chest rising to allow the desperate fingers on that hand to grasp at the tattered braid hanging over his shoulder. "They always win, they'll never leave us alone. They killed us. They killed us!"

Leon seemed stricken by those last words, well and truly undone, but they didn't make sense to Dante at all.

"Not all, Tristan. Not all. You saved yourself and this piccolo here in your arms," Leon told him, nuzzling his face down into Tristan's singed hair, his hand moving to cup Lucca's head. "Right now you need to let my cousin look at him. To make sure he's okay."

"They-"

"Can't get you here," Leon told him fiercely. "Not while I have you."

"Leon," he cried, sounding like a child, absolutely distraught and Dante swallowed over the lump in his throat at seeing someone so completely traumatised. He didn't even know how Leon was holding it together so well right now.

"Tristan," Dante said softly, hating himself a little but knowing this was the right thing. This is what he came here to do. "I really need to look at Lucca. You can come with him, but we need to get him to the clinic so I can look him over."

One tear filled, distrustful eye peeked at him from between his fall of lank hair, then back down at the still form of Lucca. Shaky, long fingers ghosted over the child once, feeling out his tiny chest that was moving up and down dangerously shallowly.

He still seemed reluctant and Dante didn't blame him. He, like everyone else in the vampire community, knew Tristan's tragic past and now that he had effectively relived that trauma? Well, he was handling it much better than he would have predicted, maybe thanks to Leon, but he wasn't going to let anyone else near him so soon and Dante suspected he also saw something of himself in this now orphaned baby which was exacerbating the situation.

Dante looked to Leon for help.

"Tesoro," he said softly, "You have done so much for him. Do this one thing more?"

Tristan made a hurt sound in his throat, but gave the tiniest of nods and Dante sighed a breath of relief. "Right. Leon, you fine to carry them?"

His cousin nodded surely. "Yes."

"Okay, guys, seriously. BACK UP!" David shouted at the crowds over their head, obviously listening in with one ear. "I know you're worried but we have an emergency here so we need some space. We'll answer any more questions you have only once you've cleared the area."

The mix of vampires and Giver's reluctantly stepped away and Dante helped steady Leon to his feet, being careful to avoid touching Tristan for now. He led them towards the clinic and took stock of the area in a glance.

"Put them on the table… or if he won't go sit all three of you on there," he instructed Leon, moving towards the cabinet on his left and searching for what he would need.

He wrapped a stethoscope around his neck before pulling out a small canister of O2 and a small face mask. Setting those aside, he moved towards the fridge in the corner and pulled out a pack of blood the Giver's had slowly been donating over the last few weeks to bolster the human supply they already had on hand. He didn't have time to search and see if they had a bottle anywhere so he also grasped a large dropper as a substitute. Ripping the edge package open with his teeth he took the dropper out of its packaging and quickly filled it with the blood.

Bringing the filled dropper and blood package over he saw that Leon had managed to at least get Tristan to sit next to him instead of in his lap, though he was still heavily leaning into him as much as he was able.

"Hold these will you," he asked his cousin, giving him the items.

Once his hands were free he unwrapped the stethoscope and approached Tristan and the baby making sure he telegraphed every move clearly. "I need to check his chest, Tristan. I'm going to need you to help me, okay?"

Tristan made a sound in the back of his throat, sooty face starkly tense and wild, wary eyes watching him like a hawk. He shifted closer to Leon, but his protective grasp of Lucca did lessen a little so he wasn't pressed as tightly against his chest.

"You need to unwrap the blanket and unbutton his clothes so I can listen to his lungs, skin to skin to see if anything is wrong. Got that?" he said next, not wanting to press his luck with unnecessary excess touching when he didn't need to.

Tristan bit his cracked lips, but the task let him feel included and in control so eventually one shaky hand did as he was told and shuffled the fabric out of the way. That was the easy part though. Dante didn't know if he was going to lose a hand if he tried to actually touch Tristan's little charge again.

"Great job. Right, I'm going to listen now," he warned him, moving in closer and putting the ends of the stethoscope in his ears and warming the pad.

Tristan leaned back at first but Dante kept his forward momentum slow and steady, reaching out with the stethoscope until he could place it on the fragile, pale chest. Leon must have said something in praise or encouragement, but Dante was too busy listening firstly to the beat of Lucca's heart. Nothing irregular showed up, but it wasn't as strong as he would have liked either. Next he moved it over to his lungs.

"Okay," he said and pulled away, he didn't need to do the back as well, instead he moved straight towards the oxygen.

"What's wrong?" Leon asked worriedly and Tristan whimpered. It seemed that both of them had become very attached to the fate of this youngling.

"He's struggling with breathing, nothing serious, he just needs a little help along while his body heals itself," Dante reassured them. He came back over with the respirator and set it aside, taking the blood package from his cousin to free up a hand.

"You can feed him the blood first, that's the most important part and he'll need it intermitted between oxygen every hour until his lungs have cleared. One dropper full," he instructed, again giving the task to them to avoid undue stress and Leon stalled for only a second before he was coming to his feet and around in front of the pair.

His cousin met Tristan's eyes and smiled at him reassuringly, one hand coming up to stroke his hair back from his face tenderly. Dante winced unseen, feeling a bitter stab in his own heart. Then the pair both looked back down at the sleeping baby cradled between them and Leon brought the dropper closer to the baby's lips.

"Press it to his mouth and let the blood well the tiniest amount. He should do the rest for you once he realises its food. Keep the pressure on it steady as he sucks, he's going to want to be greedy but we haven't got a proper bottle so you don't want to choke him on it," Dante told them, stepping closer and crossing his arms over his chest as he observed the pair.

How Tristan manoeuvred the miniscule bundle into a better position, his head raised more for a better angle. How delicate and precise Leon was, taking Dante's words as gospel so as to make sure Lucca got the best care. There was a couple of minutes pause before Lucca's rosebud mouth opened to show baby fangs just before his lips curled around the droppers tip. He sucked once before turning away with a noise and the crease between Tristan's brows deepened.

"What's wrong?" he asked fearfully, glancing at Leon for the answers.

Leon tilted his head considering and Dante contemplated speaking but it felt like intruding somehow. His cousin resituated the dropper again and Lucca opened up eagerly, only to do the same thing again. His mouth quirked at the side as his eyes lit up in understanding. "It's cold. He's what the humans say… turning his nose up?" he said with amusement.

Dante snorted. He wasn't running a gourmet kitchen.

Leon took the dropper away and held it upside down so he could wrap his palm around it, warming it through with his body temperature. It took a few quiet moments where Tristan simply stared at his charge reverently and Dante busied himself finding a place to set the rest of the blood bag down, before Leon deemed the blood suitable enough and put it back to Lucca's mouth.

He began suckling hungrily.

"He's eating," Tristan said, sounding in awe as he watched him, face losing its haunted look for this moment.

Leon smiled, all relief and quiet joy, as he kept the dropper steady. "He is." He looked over to Dante for a second. "This is good, si?"

Dante smiled. "Yeah, it's good. You two are doing great. Once he's finished I'll show you how to fix the mask."

Leon didn't seem to be listening past that first word though, his attention was straight back wrapped up in his Chosen and Lucca. Honestly, the reverence they held for this moment reminded Dante of first-time parents with a new-born. These two had forged a bond with this child through this horrible experience somehow and Dante was glad that something beautiful could still be taken away from the tragedy that had happened.

The door opened behind him and Dante looked over his shoulder to see David's hard expression. "Blaine's on his way here. And he's bringing an army."

.

Hunter stared at the red alert text from Thad Harwood for five minutes, pinned into inaction sitting there on his bed. He had planned for this situation already; had it all mapped out in his head and now it was time to put it into play he just… sat, while his mind ran circles around him instead.

Sebastian's father was here. Sebastian was his Chosen and his father was here. Sebastian was his Chosen and his father was here and Sebastian didn't know. For some insane reason, that bothered him. And as he tugged on that train of thought others began to unravel. What would Sebastian do or think if he knew? Sebastian couldn't have known this was going to happen… there was no way…

He glanced at his bedroom door, knowing just beyond it and down the hall was the person he was forbidden from seeing. The past couple of weeks had been especially hard dealing with that; he'd abandoned the cellblock and his desk completely to Luna while he worked up with Cloud taking her place and running things from there. But every day that passed seemed to stretch him thinner and wear his composure and patience down in a way he never thought was actually possible.

He shot onto his feet finally, bursting with sudden energy. He needed to do something… he needed to… he had to…

He looked down at his phone again and the text sitting there, knowing every moment he stayed here was risking lives potentially, but he couldn't focus. His mind kept getting snagged, hooked and drawn back and he realised he was moving a second before he opened the door to the one place he shouldn't be.

"Finally back for more then? Sending that Omega whelp Evelyn to psychoanalyse me in your place this past few weeks has been mildly entertaining I'll admit, but it was rather pointless. But here you are again. Have you reconsidered my offer perhaps?" Sebastian drawled as soon as he spotted his quick entrance into the cellblock.

"Do you want to know why you're standing there right now?" Hunter found himself asking, striding right for him.

Stepping into this room again was madness, what he was contemplating was likely to get him kicked out of his coven, but they had precious little time and even less options. There were rogues in the building and they were hopelessly unmatched and he had the workings of an inconceivable idea in his mind that left little room for anything else.

It seemed that Sebastian noticed the change from his usual routine immediately and he was on his feet in seconds, keen eyes scanning over him from head to toe. "You're about to make another stab at my intelligence level no doubt. Or Eve has been teaching you a few things," he scoffed, bored.

"Because you lacked true conviction in what you were doing."

He watched as Sebastian worked his jaw as the words sunk in and guessed that Evelyn had never been so direct with him.

"You know nothing about me," he said quietly, fierce anger bubbling under the surface before he hid it away by turning his back on him. The only real defiance he could manage.

Hunter wasn't playing at this though. He had rogues in the building and a Chosen that hated him and would probably be with them, with his father, if the Ohio coven hadn't caught him when they did. The idea was unthinkable. That Hunter could have met him as opposites on different sides of the war. That they may have fought one another. That he or another of his coven brothers or sisters may have had to strike him down in battle.

He couldn't picture it. Couldn't picture Sebastian fighting with any kind of passion or belief. Because Sebastian didn't believe in the Old Laws, or in Marcus Polland and his plans for the vampire race. Sebastian believed in self-preservation and ambition and proving his father wrong.

And he couldn't even be sure that this assessment was accurate and not a biased perception of his Chosen addled mind. He was compromised after all. Forbidden from even being here right now. But he couldn't accept that Sebastian would do anyone any real harm. The evidence all pointed to no and his gut, which he'd ignored for most of his life, was screaming louder than his brain for once.

"No I think I read you exactly right," he began slowly and waited until Sebastian turned his head incrementally his way before continuing. "It's well documented that your mother left you and your father at a young age. That you don't get along with your father-"

"Don't talk about my mother!" Sebastian hissed, spinning around and slamming his hands against the bars.

Hunter didn't flinch, only stepped closer calmly.

"I understand that must have had some effect on you, especially since Walter Smythe is so hard to please. And he kicked you out because of that reason. Because you couldn't please him. Because you were a reminder of the vampire that had humiliated him," Hunter pressed on the sore spot without remorse.

Sebastian's hand shot out and grabbed a handful of Hunter's jumper to haul him in, slamming him into the metal that separated them. "Shut. Up."

It should have knocked some sense into him, how careless he was being, but Hunter was relentless without wholly knowing why. "Everything you've done up to this point is to prove them wrong but it hasn't worked out for you and the reason is because you haven't got the conviction to see this through to the end. You may dislike the Ohio coven but they have never betrayed you or turned you out. Not like they did."

"I despise them. I despise all of you do-gooding delusional fucks," Sebastian spat, chest heaving.

"I don't believe you," Hunter said, quiet and hard as steel and Sebastian pushed him away. Pushed the words and those eyes that saw too deeply away so he could back up and escape. Only… there was nowhere to go.

"You had a hundred opportunities to ruin them, Sebastian. Despite what you managed to convince Blaine of, you could have used the information that Kurt was alive to your advantage and furthered your goals a thousand times if that was truly what you wanted to do," Hunter called him out, watching him pace like an angry tiger in a zoo.

"I was waiting for the right opportunity," Sebastian hissed, but Hunter had a feeling it wasn't even directed at him. "I couldn't have just told anyone. I was waiting for the right time."

"Who was the right person? When was the right time?" Hunter pressed.

"Oh you'd love for me to spill my guts," Sebastian growled at him accusingly. "You'd run off to Cooper like a good little toy soldier wouldn't you."

"Yes," Hunter answered honestly. "Because it's the right thing to do. Because I'm loyal. Because I would do anything to help the ones I call friends and even the ones that I don't. It's the right thing, Sebastian."

"One vampire's right thing isn't another's," Sebastian told him. "You can't force your ideology on me to get me to play nice. I'm not going to fall to my knees and apologise just because you say so and I'm definitely not going to throw myself in front of the proverbial bullet like you would. Put yourself there. I'll stand at the side and watch. That's what type of vampire I am, Hunter. You can't change that by force."

"I don't believe that. I don't believe that you'd just stand there," Hunter said and it was just that. A belief. One not backed up by fact or evidence. Hunter had never put his faith in anything but what was in front of him, tangible, however, Sebastian had him contemplating the nature of faith, not religious, but the faith you put into the ones you care about. It was stupid to put any kind of faith in Sebastian. He was a self-proclaimed, self-indulgent, bratty coward… yet.

Yet.

Sebastian snorted nastily and eyed him up and down like he was taking his measure and finding him completely lacking. "Then you're even more foolish then I first thought. Being a martyr is more Anderson's style."

"What if I let you out of there. What would you do?" Hunter asked bluntly and Sebastian flinched as if truly startled, no chance to manage the feeling and control it before it broadcast.

"Is this some kind of reverse psychology?"

Hunter walked to his desk and opened the top drawer. He grabbed the remote there and held it up, looking Sebastian straight in those calculating green eyes. Despite being momentarily insane and completely compromised, he hadn't lost of his faculties. He knew that Sebastian was piecing together a plan in his head right now and none of them involved flowers or chocolate. He twirled the thin control between his fingers.

"You wouldn't do it," Sebastian called him out. "You're all talk, but when it comes down to it I bet you have performance anxiety, killer."

Hunter kept his expression neutral and came around his desk to sit on the edge. "I could you know." He looked down the other end of the cell block. "Who's here to stop me?"

"If we're talking about releasing people," Robert piped up from a few cells down.

"Shut the fuck up, no one asked you," Sebastian snapped at him. The rogue was quiet for the most part, but the runt had tried to strike up a conversation with him a time or two. It was better than Kessa he supposed, that bitch had been moved to a different level because of the screaming, but Sebastian had no interest in making friends with a wet behind the ears wannabe badass. He turned his attention back to Hunter. "Do it then," he challenged.

"You haven't answered my question."

"Actions speak louder than words, killer," Sebastian purred, his smirk back as he approached the bars again and wrapped his long fingers around them. Hunter wished he could say that tone and look didn't affect him at all, but he wasn't so far gone that he wasn't completely aware that it was an affectation, not any indication of actual affection. "Let me out. You can see for yourself."

Hunter looked down and rubbed his thumb over the '1' release button as he contemplated his next move. Because this was a game they were playing between them, in some way, it always had been. And he'd set up this round himself… only, he'd raised the stakes and he was risking others this time. He flicked his eyes back upwards. "There's rogues in the building."

Sebastian's brow furrowed, genuinely confused. "How?"

"They walked straight past security, seven of them. They're stuck in the elevator as we speak," he told him calmly, reading every tiny micro expression on Sebastian's face. He saw the exact moment, in the release of tension at his eyebrows, when he worked it out.

"My father."

"You sound certain."

"Please. The only vampires who get a free pass with an entourage through security are vampires of importance. The Council and Coven leaders. And the only one you know for certain is rogue is my darling sire," Sebastian drawled, looking entirely too bored for it to be anything but put on, especially when his whole body was telling a different story; tensed and coiled.

"That's a logical assessment," Hunter agreed, neither confirming nor denying it outright and he watched Sebastian's jaw tense.

"So are you planning on killing him?" Sebastian asked conversationally.

"Who?" Hunter asked.

Sebastian grit his teeth. "My father."

"I suppose he will have to die at some point, or brought to justice in some way," Hunter agreed, still skirting the issue of confirming he was actually here.

He watched his prisoner take a deep breath, tongue rolling over his back teeth as he looked up at the ceiling. "I know what you're doing."

Hunter crossed his arms over his chest like he had all the time in the world. "Do you."

Sebastian snapped his head back down. "Why are you here when there are rogues threatening your precious coven and Council? Why aren't you fighting the good fight, diving in front of those bullets and doing what's 'right'?" he mocked with a hint of a fang ridden snarl.

"Most of both covens are out of the building. Someone has to oversee the prisoners," Hunter revealed truthfully.

Sebastian soaked that information in for a beat or two. "Let me out," he finally said.

"Why?" Hunter asked.

"Looks to me that you haven't got a whole lot of options, killer. You need my help even more than before," Sebastian told him, full of self-confidence again. His assumptions blinding him to just what Hunter had done, how he'd navigated them to this precipice and made his prisoner think he had a slither of control.

"Do I?" Hunter raised his brows. "I'm not exactly filled with confidence at you intentions."

"You haven't really got much of a choice." Sebastian smirked again. "My father's personal guard is nothing to take lightly. They're just as skilled and highly trained as the Council guard. After all, my father only tolerates the best," he said the last with a tang of bitterness.

Hunter absorbed this freely given information cautiously. It seemed like an offering, like some sort of exchange, but Hunter couldn't be completely sure. He'd come this far however so dropped his arms and stood up.

"You give me your word? That you'll help if I let you out? That you won't bring any harm to anyone who isn't a rogue," he said.

"I give my word. Let me out!" Robert piped up again. "I swear it!"

Hunter ignored him and kept his gaze locked on Sebastian's.

The vampire licked his lower lip once. "Sure. Cross my heart and hope to die."

"Very serious promise," Hunter told him.

"Better not break it then should I, killer," Sebastian said with a grin, full of fang.

Hunter pressed release on the remote and hoped. Had faith.

.

Thad wheeled himself over to the door control and locked the heavy door, paranoid and jittery. He chewed on his thumb as he wheeled back towards his screens, heart racing as he flicked his eyes crazily around from each one, almost having a palpitation in case he missed something in those few precious seconds.

The Washington coven was still having 'technical difficulties' and listening in on the audio told him they were just about ready to pry the doors open if they had to listen to another rerun of Never Gonna Give You Up. He could see Dana gathering up the Giver's on her floor, Vest and Jinx doing the same on theirs waiting for the go ahead when the elevator was freed up. Cooper and Wes were in an intense discussion, well, argument, with the Council and Thad couldn't tell whether or not they were discussing the text Thad had sent them both about the whole situation. If they had then the Council had to be wondering why Seb's dad hadn't made an appearance yet and if they had then they obviously weren't considering him a threat at all. Kurt was right on that count.

Thad sent a cursory glance to his laptop screen which was still ominously dark just as the internal phone rang, making him jump out of his skin even though it had called three times before this. He swallowed and ignored it, continuing to chew down his nail until it was nothing.

"Thad?" Jeff asked over the mobile line and Thad moved his eyes back to their screen, watching Kurt and Elana taking a turn to vanish the ceiling and floorboards above them to allow their 'ladder' room to grow into the space.

"Yeah, I'm still here," he mumbled around his thumb.

"Any news?" he asked hopefully.

Thad blinked away the sudden stinging in his eyes. He refused to think the worse. He refused. "No."

"Nick… he's always losing his phone. That's probably… I keep telling him… he's just… he's always losing his phone," Jeff explained, as if trying to make someone else believe it and Thad blinked harder.

"Yeah," he croaked. "Yeah."

He wished he had something better to offer for both of them. He'd contemplated hacking into the NY surveillance system and trying to find their missing friends on one of the feeds, but that could take hours. Hours he couldn't afford to turn his attention away from the here and now. And that was the most frustrating thing of all. Knowing he could do that as easily as breathing. Find them. Dante. But being unable to do anything about it.

Although…

He cast a look back at his laptop and his nibbling got harder as his brows drew down. There was no reason that feed should have cut out. They were hijacking a dozen servers and piggybacking off of others to make sure the signal was not only optimal, but undetectable. He was confident that no one could have found it… and that left a different option. One that made more and more sense as the gears slotted into place in his mind. He had been able to contact everyone inside the building fine, but none of the teams that had gone out had replied to his texts and his calls kept bouncing back like they were running up against a wall. He felt absolutely stupid for not realising as soon as that feed cut out.

The rogues had penned the building in communicably somehow.

He pulled up a diagnostic quickly and… any signal going out got caught about a block away from the skyscraper. "Shit," he whispered. "Shit, shit, shit!"

The rogues had drawn everyone they could out of the building then fenced them in so they couldn't send out any kind of call for help. The phone rang shrilly again and Thad drew his legs up onto the chair, wrapping an arm around one of them as protection. His heart pounded in his throat and he could taste blood as panic began to well inside him.

No one knew. Dante was out there and he didn't know. None of them could. The rogues were attacking and no one would know… he shook his head fiercely. No. No, that wasn't right. He sent out a warning text before the signal was blocked, right? The feed for Blaine's meeting was still working then. It had to have gone through. "Please gods, please. Let them be okay," he prayed, hushed and desperate.

The phone rang again, and Thad was sure the harsh bell notes were getting angrier.

"They're going to stop ringing and figure it out themselves soon guys," he told the phone, voice almost defeated when he looked back at the screen. They'd only managed to scale five floors so far out of the seven.

They weren't going to be fast enough.

This would all be for nothing because they weren't going to be fast enough and Thad couldn't do anything except sit here pushing buttons too late and being useless. He felt tears well up in his eyes, no way of pushing them back now, and he covered them with his hand. An alarm had him snapping his head back up a second later, swiping at his eyes and sniffing as he wheeled closer to see what it was about.

CELL ONE: RELEASE

He turned his sight to the cell block camera dully and watched Sebastian saunter out of his cell unhindered, Hunter simply watching him. And honestly, Thad couldn't find it within his heart to even be mad or feel betrayed as he watched Hunter offer Sebastian a new top from his desk. Sebastian was his Chosen, and Thad couldn't say he wouldn't do the exact same in his position if it was Dante. Which brought on a fresh wave of sadness. He wished he was here to somehow make it seem like the world wasn't ending. His strong, confident Chosen who always seemed to have a plan and knew exactly what to do. But he wasn't. He might never be and Thad was stuck here alone with no idea how to handle this.

Thad realised a few minutes after informing every one of the Hunter/Sebastian situation that it was way too quiet. The phone had stopped ringing. "Not a good sign," he told himself. "Not good at all."

A second alert popped up to say that the Council guard were messing around in the elevator and power systems.

"Guys. The Council guard is through my firewalls, the elevator is gonna be online in a few-" He watched it jolt to life on screen, continuing its upwards trajectory. Kurt and everyone still had a floor to go and they were visibly wilted, all four of them. He covered his mouth and glanced back at the elevator again, only to frown at the number lit up there. "Wait a sec. They're not headed for the top floor, they're-"

"What?" Kurt asked, his breathing laboured. "Thad? Where are they going?"

Thad swallowed over a suddenly dry mouth. "Here," he croaked, body starting to shake. "They're, uh, they're headed for this level."

"Get out of there!" Burt told him.

"I can't." He looked around the dark room. "There's nowhere to go and besides, someone needs to run things from here. I'll… I'll be fine," he said with no confidence whatsoever.

"I could retrieve you," Elana offered, though her wane appearance said that it would be a feat after she'd already spent so much magic.

And that was so tempting, to have her pop in and transport him to safety. But how could he do that? How could he justify leaving his friends even though he knew they wouldn't think less of him whatsoever for it. He shook his head. "This is my job," Thad stated shakily. "Besides, it'll buy you a little more time with me as a distraction."

"Thad-" Jeff started.

"Just keep going. I've got this. Awesome, right? Triumph and all that?" Thad joked weakly. No one laughed. "You've got one level left. You'll need to leave that room and head down the hallway five doors. That'll make sure you pop out around the conference rooms instead of in the middle of the main room."

"We'll send someone for you as soon we get up there," Kurt promised.

"That would be appreciated," Thad said with a wane half-smile, eyes on the elevator.

17…

18…

19…

20.

It stopped and he watched two of Walter's personal guard step off, dressed in a dark green version of what the Council guard wore with wicked looking 'ceremonial' swords at their left hip. He got distracted for a moment staring at it before he realised something else… the rest of them had stayed put.

"Shit. They're only sending two of them," he warned his friends. One that looked and was built like a giant and another that was wiry and had a nasty looking scar bisecting his bottom lip and running down his neck like someone had missed trying to slit his throat. Thad shivered.

"We'll just have to go faster. Hold out until we can send someone for you," Kurt grunted.

"I'll… um… I'll hang up now. I don't want them hearing me talking to you and guessing anything is up," Thad said, though the last thing he wanted to do is be left on his own. "G-good luck guys."

"Be safe, Thad."

He wrote out another message and sent it before he locked his phone.

To; Hunter

Rogues headed to top level. Need backup. They know about Seb

It wasn't long before four harsh knocks sounded against the door, flesh meeting metal in dull thuds that had Thad's heart jerking in time as he stared wide eyed at the surface.

"Open the door," was commanded and Thad near about wet himself in terror. He didn't care about dignity here when a seven foot, eight foot wide monster vampire was standing outside that door ready to Hulk smash that shit down like it was tissue paper.

The bombarding began.

Cringing at the noise and the way it seemed to go right through him, he wiped his personal laptop of everything; he had backups elsewhere so it wasn't a huge deal. He turned back to his main screens and made a split second decision, pulling up an encrypted file he had coded a long time ago when this all started. Rogues having control over the security in this building, in any building, would be disastrous and he couldn't let that happen. The code had been written for the Ohio system but since he had implemented that same system here with help from Elliott all he would have to do was enter his password and let it do its work.

The door suddenly crumpled like it was nothing, bent metal smashing to the floor and hinges flying, and Thad's fumbling fingers desperately flew over the keyboard for the last time.

He was grabbed around the waist just as he pressed enter and all the screens went blank. He was hauled out of the way, against big and monstrous' chest and he watched his companion step up to the terminal. He pressed a few keys and only got a huge, red ACCESS DENIED sign pop up, he tried again and got the same.

"What's wrong?" the chest behind his head rumbled like an engine on a truck.

"Can't you fucking read?" the other snapped over his shoulder. "The little shit locked the system."

"Unlock it then."

"Yes, thank you. I didn't think of that. How ingenious!"

Hulk shook Thad forcefully and he felt his eyes knock about in his skull like marbles. "What's the password, runt?"

Thad swallowed hard and he knew both of the rogues could hear it, along with the drumming beat of his heart. He wasn't brave or courageous and these two had to know it... what they didn't know however, what the likes of Marcus Polland and all his followers didn't understand was that you didn't have to be brave or courageous to be willing to hurt, or endure, or die to protect the ones you loved. They dismissed bonds like family and Chosen's and Thad was sure that was going to be their downfall in the end.

"I w-won't tell you," he stuttered.

The tall one sneered at him, scar twisting his face menacingly. "We'll see about that. Bring him upstairs."

.

They finally pulled themselves up to the top level in the middle of the conference room they had used before, all shaking with exhaustion and panting. They didn't have time to rest, however. This was a race to see who could get to the Council first and Kurt was determined to win, whatever the consequences.

He set off for the main room at a run and he could hear footsteps following him. The corridors themselves were deserted, but he could see the entrance up ahead flagged on either side with two Council guards, thankfully facing away from them. Kurt drew up short and waved his hand over his shoulder for the others to as well. The guards hadn't noticed any irregular noise yet over what sounded like a heated argument between Richard and Cooper (no surprise there) and Kurt didn't want to make this hard for themselves without needing to.

Elana stepped up beside him, looking entirely fed up with this whole ordeal. Okay, pissed. She looked pissed. He glanced at his dad and saw he had taken the shotgun off of his back, eyeing the guys in red ahead warily.

"What are we doing?" Jeff mouthed at him.

Kurt glanced at Elana and mimed an asleep motion. She narrowed her eyes on him in remembrance of the afternoon he spent putting her to sleep after she had taught him the spell, but raised her hand in the appropriate position. Kurt mirrored it and pulled from his depleted core, chanting the words he wanted under his breath, not as confident as Elana was to do it without.

The guards heard too late and turned just in time to see them before their eyes drooped and they collapsed to the ground, swords at their hips clanking as they hit the floor in a tangle of limbs.

"Well. That went well," Jeff chirped positively, hands propping on his hips as he surveyed the unconscious guards. Kurt didn't have time to celebrate however, instead he tried not to let his wobbling knees buckle out from under him. There was no way he was going to be able to defend himself properly like this; he felt bone tired and wired at the same time, like he could sleep for a week and swim ten miles all at once.

"What is the meaning of this treachery?!" Ajax boomed, voice carrying through the doorway.

"Or not."

Burt chambered a shell.

"That escalated quickly," Kurt muttered, but drew in a calming breath and walked forwards to face what was ahead. It was scarier than anything he had done so far but he was determined. No turning back. No more hiding. This had to be done. It was a mantra he had kept in his head every time he just wanted to let go of those vines and collapse on the floor.

Cloud met him at the door in a burst of speed, stopping short of detaining him once he saw who it was. The barest hint of a frown creased his painted forehead that told the fae prince everything about what he thought of this move. He was an idiot. He stepped aside regardless, shifting the unconscious bodies on the floor with his feet to let him pass.

Taking a deep breath, Kurt stepped through. No turning back. No more hiding. This had to be done.

He just hoped his legs wouldn't give out before he could see it through.

Cooper was next to see him from his vantage point at his throne and he sunk into it in shock, for once, lost for words. Kurt didn't wait for anyone else to say anything either, didn't wait for Council guards to rush him and definitely didn't wait to meet everyone's eyes for the first time for fear of letting their overwhelming presence render him into silence before he could say what he needed to.

"You all have to leave right now!" he told the room loudly, grateful his voice didn't waver even though he was staring at the floor.

The room fell into such a state of hush Kurt felt the hairs on his arms stand up and his pounding heartbeat had to be the loudest in the room. He wished Blaine was here. Stars, how he wished he was here to hold his hand and offer that quiet, resolute strength of his. The stuff that had kept him going for a hundred years after he died.

"Richard," Marisol choked first and Kurt eyes involuntarily strayed upwards to her, Blaine's elusive mother that had hurt him so deeply, where she was seated on the far sofa. He wanted to hate her on sight despite all his advice to Blaine to give her a chance, found words rising up his throat ready to hurt her like she had hurt his soulmate. He wanted to know why so bad, wanted to know how even more. Why had she left him, how she had left him and lived with herself. They caught eyes all of a sudden. Gold eyes. So familiar, yet, set in a face foreign to him. He had no memories of Marisol from before, good or bad, and none rushed forth to greet him on seeing her in the flesh. He didn't know how to interpret that. Had she always been so absent, even when he was alive?

"What manner of creature is this?" Richard spat, ripping the fae's attention back to the present and Kurt watched him turn on Cooper with fury written in every line of his body, arms moving in angry sweeping gestures towards him. "What witchery have you and Blaine engaged in to summon forth this abomination?!"

Almost before the words had time to settle and sting Kurt had an army going on the defence on his behalf.

"Excuse me? That's my son you're talking about, bub. I don't care what you are, I'll make you regret it," Burt growled at him, holding up the weapon in his hands threateningly as he stepped up next to his boy.

The vampire's in the room sneered at the sight of him, hackles rising from the audacity this human dared to show them. Kurt was ready to fight with whatever magic he had left in him when his sister came forwards on his other side.

"I think it would be wise if you held your tongue, Richard Anderson," Elana told him, all regal airs and grace despite looking like she had been dragged through a hedge backwards.

"Elana Gelding?" he said in disbelief. "But… the wards."

"Remain closed to the likes of your ilk," she stated distastefully, eyes flashing.

"Yeah, so screw you," was what Jeff wittily joined in with, also joining the defensive line.

There was another silence in their wake, shocked in a different vein this time as Richard slowly turned purple. The only one that didn't seem as taken aback was Leon's brother, Salvatore. He was considering as his dark eyes took them in, him in, chin cupped in his palm, thumb rubbing across his bottom lip in concentration.

Kurt had to look away, body tensed up so hard it almost hurt.

He would never get used to being the 'Chosen who died' and how that weight would forever loom over him. He had become desensitised to the talk and whispers by now, but never to the way they stared at him so intently. Like they were trying to get inside him somehow and pull and pick at the threads that made him him and figure out how he did it. How he cheated felt invasive and uncomfortable coming from the New York coven… from the Council? He felt like a butterfly pinned to a board or a frog ready to be dissected. Insignificant against the power they radiated, helpless against their will, prey in the most animalistic sense.

"Welp. This is unexpected," Cooper broke it, sending Kurt a glare. "You should really warn a guy, Kurty-kins. It's only polite."

The fae blushed the barest amount, trying to keep it together. He couldn't lose it now by shrinking into himself, there were stakes here. "It wasn't exactly planned. And I mean it, we have to leave. Did you get Thad's text?" Kurt asked him, sending a stray glance at the doors that led to the elevator. They didn't have time for this. They'd taken too long getting up here and now his plan was shot because any second now Walter was going to stride through those doors completely unhindered. "We have to go, please," he repeated urgently.

Wes moved over to Elana's side and grasped her hand. "They will not leave," he told them. "We've tried for over an hour but they won't evacuate. They don't see the danger."

"The only danger I see here nephew is you consorting with a fae prince that was pronounced dead! Along with that you seem to have forged a Chosen bond with the next in line for the fae throne without informing the Council and added further insult by breaking our laws by allowing a human to know of our existence!" Zhang Li spat, eyes dangerously black and Kurt flinched away from the words and the venom behind them. He didn't know how Wes dealt with the force of them over and over. "Care to tell us why that is?"

"We haven't got time for this," Kurt stressed, starting to sweat from the anxiety. "Please. I'm me, I have five people who can vouch for me in the room right now."

"A human, a compromised vampire and two fae we cannot confirm nor deny are not manifestations like you," Richard scoffed at dismissively before he waved his hand in a very obvious gesture. "Guards!"

"That still leaves me," Cooper said lowly and it made the guards stall in their places, hands on hilts as they waited for further direction. "Or am I not good enough father dearest?"

"And I," Cloud piped up from behind where he had disappeared with the two unconscious guards, louder than any of them had ever heard him talk. He came around the group to stand with them, which seemed to surprise a few, especially Kurt. The prince had kind of made up in his head that he was on friendly terms with the Second… as much as you could be with him anyway. But to have him vouch for him in front of his Council and stand with them? He looked down the line at his family and friends… Kurt couldn't put his gratitude into words.

His heart was still racing, but suddenly, with the people he loved all around him, he wasn't quite as terrified facing these intimidating vampires anymore. This whole time he had been thinking in the singular even though he had been saying 'we' and 'us' out loud. I have to do this. I have to confront the Council. I have to help Blaine and my friends. But really, he did need a 'we' and an 'us' if this was ever going to work and he had it right there all the time. People supporting him and ready to stand by his side no matter the consequences.

"I will give the room one chance to explain itself," Ophelia intoned, her voice layering across everything, heavy and black, like the shadows she seemed to meld out of, inciting fear in every being within a mile radius of her. For a mostly non magical race vampires usually didn't give off too much for Kurt to pick up on like he could with other fae or witches. But Ophelia radiated power in a different sense, an ancient strength that promised the devastation of cities at a whim if she was so inclined and it was utterly terrifying.

Shaking, Kurt met her gaze reluctantly, not wanting to but drawn against his will and he immediately wanted to run away and cry for days at the blankness encapsulated there. He couldn't tear his eyes away even though everything in him was begging, was flinching and hiding away from her harsh, probing regard and he all at once knew what she was thinking.

Why do you get to live again?

The guilt that bubbled up from the wrung mess of his insides nearly choked him. He knew her story. Blaine had whispered it to him, sad and soft, under the covers on one of their visits, eyes filled to the brim with emotion. Kurt could only hold him, not knowing what to say, letting him make love to him in the most desperately sweet, agonising way to reaffirm they were both there together. But for Ophelia… Kurt had no consolation to offer, still had no words that would explain why or dull the hurt. He was alive. Her Chosen wasn't. It wasn't right or fair and she probably blamed him for it.

She blinked, once, and Kurt gasped and tore his eyes away from her grasp, mouth dry and fingers trembling. He watched absently as Ajax raised his huge girth from the chair, meaty hands curling into fists. Burt shifted on his feet as he took him in, hands shifting near the trigger of the gun in the face of him. He was by far the most intimidating looking vampire here.

The sharp sound of the elevators ping made Kurt's heart sink and his stomach flip over.

No. No, no, no. This isn't fair.

Kurt stepped further into the room, heedless of the danger, he needed them to understand. "Please, listen to me. Walter Smythe is rogue. He's working with Marcus Polland and has been this whole time to try and take ov-"

"Marcus?" Richard scoffed pompously, interrupting him. "That's even more absurd than Walter! I've known them personally for years, I would know if they were rogue. And I'm not going to believe a spectre of my son's dead Chosen of all things. For all we know this is a ploy by the real rogues to lure us into a trap!"

"We should at least show caution," Salvatore suggested diplomatically, still sizing Kurt up to determine his authenticity. "Until we know the truth."

"There is no 'truth' to know!" Richard denied confidently, waving his hand. "Walter and Marcus were both huge supporters in the war. They would never turn on us."

They all heard; they would never turn on me.

"Richard," Marisol attempted, but even she was shook off. Richard wouldn't hear of any opinion that wasn't his own.

Kurt sent one more frantic glance at the doors. Walter had to be with the Council guards out there. "What do you guys want me to do to make you believe me?" he begged. "Do you want me to do magic tricks? Tell you something only I would know? Please I-"

It was all in vain. In the next breath, the doors were pushed open and Kurt's gaze was suddenly blocked by Wes, Jeff and Cloud. They were shielding him from immediate attention.

"Richard!" Walter greeted, loud and charming as soon as he entered, his four stone faced guards flanking him. There was no sight of the usual two guards that Jeff had told him announced people into the room and Kurt got a sick feeling in his stomach as he looked around. There were only four Council guards left in the room. "Dear friend, it has been a century at least since you were last in my territory."

Kurt found a gap between Wes and Jeff's heads and watched Richard smile, almost smugly as he stepped forwards to offer the vampire his hand. He switched his attention towards Walter and took him in for the first time. He looked about Richard's age physically and had a long face like Sebastian with the same colour eyes, but his features were much smaller and harsher than his sons. He wasn't overly tall or muscled, nothing to scream dangerous, but there was something unsettling about his demeanour, about how he assessed Richard as if he were calculating something in his head. Every action was measured, even footsteps, like there was always a bigger game being played, stakes at risk if you dared to catch his attention.

"It is good to see you again," Blaine's dad said as they shook and Kurt wanted to scream at him; what's wrong with you! Can't you see it!

"How heart-warming," Cooper drawled, looking at his nails casually. "But why exactly are you in my territory uninvited, Smythe?"

"Not very cordial of your fellow vampire, youngling," Walter said, deliberately insulting with the jab at his age. "And I seek an audience with the Council and word has it they left hurriedly for here. I wonder why?" he feigned and Kurt wanted to gag as he took in the Council's expressions. None of them were nearly as suspicious as they needed to be and Kurt didn't know what to do anymore.

How were they not seeing straight through this bullshit?

He was actually beginning to appreciate Sebastian of all things the longer he stayed in Walter Smythe's presence; at least Sebastian was up front with his awful personality traits and actions whereas the elder was every shade of shady. No wonder Sebastian turned out how he did with this for a father and role model. He actually felt sorry for him for a split second.

"There is still a system in place if you wanted an audience," Salvatore told him with his arms crossed resolutely over his chest, not sucked in, and Kurt wanted to hug him. Whatever genes ran in Leon's family were certainly top grade; they were all heroic, handsome and smart.

Walter twitched slightly, like he was annoyed at being told off by someone who was clearly younger and more distinguished than him. "Yes, well. I did not think it would be an issue, my apologies," he said insincerely with a small bow, but no one called him out on it. He turned to his guards. "Why don't you take a break. We are in the company of friends now, no danger to my person. Join the Council guard if you must."

They all nodded and Kurt frowned at the weird interaction as the guards stepped back from him and spread out across the room, trying to be innocuous as they doubled up with the guards that were standing in strategic places for each Council member as best they could. They now flanked Salvatore, Ophelia, Ajax and Zhang Li.

"That is unnecessary," Richard said as he observed the move, his confusion letting Kurt know that this wasn't normal.

"Nonsense. They would only bother me shadowing my every step and it seems like they must be guarding something at all times. Indulge them would you?" Walter joked, unbuttoning his suit jacket.

Richard opened his mouth, probably to graciously acquiesce when he was curtly cut across. "Your apologies are noted, but useless. We are engaged with many important matters, what issue is so pressing you travelled here to seek an audience in person?" Zhang Li demanded and thank god for his anal retentive strictness when it came to the rules.

Kurt missed whatever bullshit excuse he came up with because Wes chose this moment to lean back to him and say in the barest of whispers, "Make for the door with your father as quietly as you can."

"I'm not leaving," Kurt hissed under his breath.

"Don't be a stubborn idiot. Walter has made the mistake of dismissing us for now, but that could all change in an instant as soon as he gets curious enough to know who we are. There's nothing you can do anymore except damage if they get their hands on you. You're not even supposed to be here. Blaine doesn't even know and if you think I'm going to let you get yourself killed again then you're out of your mind," Wes growled and Kurt didn't have a reply to that, well, none that was reasonable.

"What about Elana?" he asked instead.

"She's leaving right now," Wes said and Elana gave her own indignant growl at having her decisions made for her.

"I am not."

"Someone needs to tell the King about what's going on. It's a long shot, but maybe he can help if things go south. You'd be taking Kurt with you if I thought you were able to," Wes said.

"I-"

"Elana," Kurt cut her off with a shake of his head. She didn't have to pretend anymore, they were past this. She swallowed down her retort and went back to glaring at the back of Wes' head.

"You are requesting I leave you here. And my brother. Amongst enemies," she accused.

"So you can recharge and come rescue us," Wes said and he wasn't even joking which Kurt was sure made Elana feel better.

"If you foolishly get yourself injured, Wesley Montgomery," Elana warned him harshly, but there was real emotion hiding under there that made her voice waver the tiniest fractions.

"I would kiss you right now if I could," Wes said, raw and honest, instead of a promise he couldn't keep.

Kurt heard his sister swallow before she looked at Kurt and placed a hand on his arm. "I could attempt to bring you with me."

Kurt gave her a small smile but shook his head. "I couldn't leave my dad-"

"To hell with me, if you've got a one way ticket away from here then you're getting on it," Burt told him sternly in a fierce whisper.

"She can't anyway. Look at her," Kurt said. She had been taxed the most out of all of them, expending more magic on top of what she'd used to get the two of them here in the first place. It just wasn't feasible for her to take anyone but herself. He gave her a sad excuse for an encouraging smile. "Go, Elana."

She paused only a moment, one hand brushing over Wes' back, just the barest of touches before she was taking the hand away and winked out of sight. Kurt noticed Wes' shoulders relax a fraction and smiled wanly before refocusing on what was happening.

"-this really is inappropriate, Walter. You should not be here over something so trivial you could have settled it yourself," Salvatore finished saying, puffed up and angry like he'd been insulted.

"I don't like to overstep my boundaries," Walter simpered.

Cooper scoffed loudly. "You have no boundaries, you think you deserve to own the world."

"Perhaps," Walter admitted with a growing smile that could only be described as creepy. He made a weird hand gesture in front of himself before stepping back out of the way and too many things suddenly happened at once for Kurt to keep track of.

The Washington coven guards drew something from inside their clothing simultaneously, all turning to the Council guards next to them and driving whatever it was home into their necks. They dropped one by one to the floor like flies almost immediately, all clutching the point of entry.

Darts.

Walter's laugh echoed around the room. "But you make it so easy, why should I not own the world, just a little."

And before any of them could react more darts were sailing towards the members of Council. They dodged them easily enough, the one meant for Richard striking Marisol in the arm, but what they weren't ready for was the second attack. The four guards drew swords and rushed the closest Council member with expert skill, intent on their task and it was clear that none cared about whether or not they died. They were playing to win no matter the cost and it dawned on Kurt in horrifying clarity that all they needed to do was nick them with the blade, just the tiniest cut of skin. Just like what happened to Leon.

How could they have been so blind? he thought as Cloud forced him backwards away from the fighting, his dad following with the muzzle of the shotgun still facing towards anyone that would follow.

"We have to move. We'll double back to the way you guys got up and then take the elevator the rest of the way down," Wes said hastily, but it washed over Kurt like white noise, he was transfixed by the carnage unfolding before him, his mind going crazy.

It didn't once occur to Kurt that Walter would have access to the same poison, that that was why Walter hadn't needed to worry about bringing an army when he had the equivalent of a biological warhead at his disposal. They hadn't been prepared, they hadn't even told the Council about the poison and the antidote was sitting uselessly in the clinic. Too late, he realised numbly as he watched Ajax roar and stumble to his knees first. To see him of all vampires brought so low so effortlessly was jarring and Kurt whimpered, frozen as he watched.

Zhang Li was highly skilled at combat, it was obvious from the grace of his movements, but he was doubled up on once Ajax went down and it wasn't long before one of the guards got lucky and cut a stripe over one cheek. That's all it took. He wavered and they didn't even wait for him to drop, utter confidence and calculated coldness in their blank faces as they moved on to the next, finding Salvatore already woozy from a gash on his leg.

"You have to leave," Cloud told Kurt, shaking his arms to try and pull his attention away from the fighting. Cooper had jumped in now and Kurt wanted to scream at him not to but he was on a direct course to where Richard was trying to protect Marisol's unconscious form and avoid twin blades.

"Kurt," Jeff said fearfully from behind Wes.

Stars. They were going to die weren't they… he's already won…

"Kurt, c'mon!" Burt tried to snap him out of it, pulling at his arm, but he was stuck staring at Walter's gleeful face from is spot nearer the door where he'd moved to.

"W-we… we have to… we have to…" Kurt stuttered, shaking all over. But there was no plan left, nothing they could do. He couldn't think of a single spell, any piece of magic that would help turn the tide. He was stuck watching it all, as useless and powerless as he had always been at the hands of the rogues.

Cooper helped his father take down one of the guards, managing to sneak in under a swipe and knock the sword out of his hand to turn it against its owner, shoving it forcefully into his chest. The vampire keeled over. What Coop didn't see was the vampire coming up behind him and Cloud broke away to try and deal with it. His job above all else was to watch Cooper's back and he was tackling the guard around the middle in the next second.

Ophelia was fending off the other two guards left, moving so fast Kurt couldn't keep track of her properly. One minute there were two guards and the next one was lying in a heap at her feet, head twisted all the way around. Kurt gagged. He was sure she could have dealt with the last one too… if Walter hadn't pulled a dart gun from his inside pocket and fired. Her blurry figure stuttered back into view, the red dart protruding from her bicep. She pulled it out with a sneer on her face and cast it aside, turning a feral growl that was all fang towards Walter. She stepped that way, one step, two, three… then stumbled to her knees.

Walter smirked at her and examined the dart gun, turning it this way and that. "Humans may be weak, stupid things but they occasionally have their uses," he considered out loud.

"You will pay for this," Ophelia slurred, eyes pitch black.

Walter raised the gun once more. "Do be quiet, dear. I wasn't finished and it's rude to interrupt."

The second dart hit her in the chest and she collapsed to the ground not long after that, no longer able to fight it.

"What about this one, boss?" one of the guards asked, Cooper held in front of him, a knife at his throat. Cloud was unconscious on the ground a few feet away, blood spreading in a pool under him that made Kurt nearly collapse as he shook his head in denial. He moved to step over there, to heal him, to do something but his dad grasped his arm hard, preventing him.

"We got more over here," another guard called and it took a second for Kurt to realise that he meant them. All hope of escape or helping was suddenly cut off as the guard ordered them away from the door. Kurt kept his head down as they shuffled in closer to the centre, the guard taking their previous spot. Wes and Jeff stepped in front of him again, appreciated but probably negligent now, and he could see the blonde was shaking too.

"Giver's? Ah no, it's the delectable fae that got left behind and the Montgomery boy too," Walter assessed, giving a cursory, dismissive glance to the rest of them. "Tell me, where is the youngest Anderson? Seems a shame for him to miss out on the family fun."

"Fuck you!" Cooper spat, eyes blazing as he struggled against the arms holding him.

"You always were a big mouthed brat, Cooper," Walter sneered, walking towards him, nonchalantly kicking Ophelia's arm out of the way with his leather shoes. "I should have had your tongue cut out long ago."

Cooper snorted and met his threats with disgust. "Please. You don't have the balls to do anything for yourself. Just like you didn't have the balls to keep your female satisfi-"

He was punched in the mouth and left spitting blood.

"You're still a coward," Cooper slurred around his swelling lip. He spat again. "Using poison to kill them instead of fighting honourably."

Walter's irate expression transformed into smugness all at once. "They're not dead. It's not poison," he explained and at Cooper's surprised expression he laughed. "What you thought that after we found those delightful shifters and discovered just what they could produce we would leave it there? How uninventive. Where's your vision! No, no, no, we were able to come up with a multitude of uses including this very handy one. If the barest amount gets into the blood stream its," He clicked his fingers, "lights out for even the strongest of vampires without carrying around needles full of sedative. Marcus doesn't want them dead just yet."

"Walter…" Richard spoke up, perched protectively over his Chosen's still frame, face dumbfounded and shell-shocked. "How could you… I…"

The Washington leader turned smartly on his heels and smiled down at his 'dear friend'. "Ah, Richard, I want to thank you especially for all the help you gave in getting us here. Honestly, without your express support we wouldn't be here right now."

Richard's face went from ashen to puce. "I did no such thing you traitor! I'll rip your head off myself!"

"Ah, ah, ah! Don't be hasty, I have your Chosen's life in my hands," he reminded him with a nasty smirk. Richard drew up short, mouth snapping closed and eyes bleeding black. "Keep that head together, we wouldn't want you going feral and endangering her now would we? Besides. We're not even at the best part yet, you'll want to stick around. See the fruits of your labour… or should I say arrogance?"

"You're one to talk about arrogance," Cooper growled, leaning forwards despite the tipped knife still held to his throat.

"It's not arrogance when you can back it up. Something your father falls woefully short on. It's almost embarrassing really, listening to him. All these years of blah blah blah." He rolled his eyes, and Richard was rendered mute in the face of him, before Walter stopped suddenly and turned towards the elevators. "Ah, company. How exciting."

The next thing they knew Thad was being shoved into the room by two more guards; one ginormous and another that was badly scarred. Kurt had to wonder abstractedly how he had managed that when most vampires healed so well. The rest of him was hating himself because he had not only failed to get the Council to listen to reason, but he'd forgotten all about sending someone for Thad when he promised he would. Thad was scared out of his mind, it was written all over his face, but he still locked eyes with their group and mouthed a 'sorry', like this was his fault and the self-loathing heated to boiling.

"What have we here?" Walter asked and the guards shifted nervously at his dangerous tone.

"This one, he was controlling the systems right under the Council's noses and he's locked everything out," the thin scarred one said, shoving Thad's small frame again for good measure.

"So why are you here and not fixing the problem?" Walter asked, eyes narrowing.

"I… can't. Not quick enough anyway," he admitted reluctantly and they watched Walter's face transform back again now that he wasn't getting his way. He stepped closer silently and looked down on Thad who had his shoulders up by his ears like he was wishing he could be a turtle and disappear inside his shell.

"Now, now, little one. Be a good boy and tell us the password, hm?" he purred at him.

Thad swallowed bravely and looked him square in the eyes. "I won't."

The punch that followed reverberated across the room and sent Thad to the floor with a cry of pain that cut into Kurt's soul and he couldn't be silent any longer, not as Thad; innocent, lovely, harmless Thad came to blows and Cloud lay most likely dead on the floor and the rest of his friends were soon to follow.

"Leave him alone!" he shouted, pushing through Jeff and Wes.

"Kurt!" Burt barked at him, reaching for his arm, but it was too late. Walter had zeroed in on him with laser focus.

"Bring him," he ordered and the huge guard that had come in with Thad strode purposely towards their group.

A huge noise sounded in the room and the vampire stumbled back, his eyes going wide before dropping down to his chest that was beginning to seep red in multiple spots. There was a sure click then another blast that sent the vampire backwards another step.

Kurt looked left in shock to see Burt had stepped out and was unloading on the vampire.

"You'll have to get through me first," he growled, pumping the reload action again.

"A human?" Walter asked in distaste, not at all phased by his threats. He sighed at the room. "Well?" Silence before another shot rang out. "Is someone going to kill him?" he asked, annoyed.

The guard behind them moved hastily to his master's bidding and Kurt stumbled forwards, heart in his throat. "NO! No, please. I'll come. Don't hurt him, please," he begged.

Walter tracked his eyes over him slowly, recognition starting to dawn. "Take the weapon. Leave the human… for now." He crooked his finger at Kurt meaningfully and the fae clenched his teeth, chest heaving before moving.

"Kurt!" Burt hissed at him as he struggled in vain with the vampire disarming him. The guard eventually got fed up and knocked Burt over the head. His cap went flying and him after it, hitting the floor with a sickening thud.

Kurt gasped and ran over to him, dropping down to his knees to check him over. "You said you wouldn't hurt him!" he screamed at Walter, magic building up in him ready to explode.

"I said nothing of the sort," Walter disagreed, cruel eyes turning hard as Kurt checked for a pulse and sent a little healing magic into his dad. "Now. Come. Here. Unless of course you want my guard to finish the job?"

"You animal!" Wes growled at him, but he was stuck where he was. There was nothing he could do.

"I'm waiting."

The threat in that was clear and Kurt couldn't risk his dad anymore. It was his fault he was here in the first place. His fault that he was hurt right now. He swallowed over the angry, frustrated tears that wanted to escape and came back to his feet, hands clenched into fists.

I hope someone rips you apart, he thought internally as he walked over, not stopping until he was right in front of Walter.

The vampire examined him once more and reached out for him. Kurt did his best not to flinch but his flesh crawled when he made contact with his face. "So, what do have we here?" Walter murmured as he titled Kurt's chin upwards and side to side. He let out a disbelieving laugh. "Prince Kurt Gelding? Now aren't you a surprise. I could have sworn we killed you a century ago."

Kurt clenched his teeth harder and yanked, trying to tug his face away in disgust but the grip he had was bruising. "Seems like it didn't stick. Make sure you try harder this time," he found himself taunting. If he was going to die he wouldn't pander to this vampire's inflated ego.

"Me?" Walter barked out another laugh and the smirk left behind was poisonous. He tightened his grip on Kurt's chin so it was bordering on too much to bear as he forced their faces closer. "No. I think I will give dear Jeremiah a second chance at that honour, the gods know the creature has nothing else in his life. I'm sure he would appreciate the pleasure it would be to drain the life out of you for a second time. Maybe we'll make Blaine watch this time."

"You won't touch him!" Jeff yelled, green eyes spitting fire.

Walter almost pouted, but the innocent look was bellied by the blind hatred filling up those blank eyes. "Now, now. Don't think we've forgotten about you dear thing. The prince here has some sort of significance… you. Well." He eyed him up and down lavishly and it made Kurt's skin crawl just looking at it, let alone being the recipient. "Maybe I'll keep you for myself. They say fae blood is especially sweet."

Jeff paled to the colour of ash and Walter delighted in it, it radiated out of him like a noxious cloud and Kurt wanted so bad to hurt him in that moment for doing anything to make Jeff anything but happy.

"Oh yes, you'll be especially fun I think. Now." He turned back to Kurt. "Our plans have been changed thanks to that one." He indicated Thad who was still trembling on the floor, hand pressed over his face to stem the blood. "We were going to lock down the top of the tower but I can improvise. Get that idiot up and start dragging the rest to the elevator," he ordered his remaining guards.

Walter let go of Kurt's face finally but transferred the firm hold to his bicep with the same crushing grip as he watched his lackey's do his bidding. One approached Richard and Marisol and he snarled at them. Walter raised the dart gun again and shot him.

"Tiresome," he said blithely. He looked down at Kurt and seeing his expression smirked. "Like you hadn't thought of doing something like that before."

Kurt turned his face away from him, that sick feeling back in his stomach. He wanted so badly to stop Walter somehow but he couldn't use magic when so many people were at risk here. He was useless. Exactly what he didn't want to be this time around. All that training, all the preparation, was all for nothing.

I'm sorry Blaine, he thought, tears springing to his eyes again.

The elevator doors opened again while the guards were halfway through and Walter narrowed his eyes until he saw just who stepped through.

.

"So the building's evacuated," Sebastian said as the last group of Giver's and coven members were loaded onto the elevator with instructions to head towards the nearest safe house and get the word out about what had happened. They had been heading upwards from the cell block once the elevator was free, floor by floor to make sure no one was left behind. They had found two dead Council guards in the second security room.

"No thanks to you," Hunter said flatly, giving him a hard look.

Sebastian held up his hands. "You guys are the ones that made me public enemy number one in this tower. None of those idiots wanted to be near me, let alone believe me when I said I wanted to help."

"And do you?"

Seb shrugged his head to the side and pulled at the cuff of Hunter's sweater. The vampire would have to smell perfect too to go along with that golden boy image didn't he and this thing was far fucking softer than he ever expected it to be.

"Sebastian?"

He snapped his head back up from his musings, fighting a blush for the god's sake's. "I said I would," he gritted out, angry at Hunter for… well… everything.

The vampire stared at him, through him, with those green eyes for a second and Sebastian was sure he could read his deception all over his face. Yet. The vampire didn't call him out on it, he'd have to have realised this was all a ruse when he was in his cell too. But here he stood.

"We should join the others upstairs," Hunter said instead.

"You know we'd be walking into a trap right?" Sebastian found himself saying aloud and cursing himself internally for it. Why? Why had he said that? Why had he tipped him off when this could have been the perfect avenue to escape?

Hunter nodded resolutely however. "I did not believe that Walter had come here without a plan of action."

"No shit-"

"That doesn't change my mind though" Hunter cut him off. "It's my duty to be up there."

"He's probably killed people already, maybe some of those friends of yours. Are you sure you wanna walk into that?" Sebastian asked and he didn't know why he couldn't stop. But there was a rising feeling of panic welling in his chest and it was causing his heart race and his palms to get sweaty. "You could leave right now. Head to the safe house."

Hunter regarded him silently for a moment. "You're concerned."

"I think you're a fucking idiot," Sebastian refuted because no. "I'm just pointing out the options here, that's what I'm here to do right? Give you insight. Help. And I don't exactly fancy putting my neck on the line standing next to you."

Hunter shook his head. "No harm will come to you," he promised and Sebastian almost had to double take at the undertone of emotion in that statement. Like his well-being actually ranked as a priority for Hunter, which had to be bullshit. The only reason he was here next to him is because he had manipulated his way out here… right?

He began to run their conversation in the cell block over in his head. How Hunter had baited him with the mention of his father, which he was still kind of repressing. Thinking back on it now, Hunter had agreed to this situation pretty easily… actually, he had been the one to bring up the idea of his freedom in the first place…

His thoughts were derailed when the elevator came back up to them and the doors slid open.

Hunter stepped inside and turned to him, hand on the door to prevent it from closing. "Are you coming with me?" he asked.

"I don't have a choice do I?" Sebastian huffed as he joined him… only… it felt like he did. Like that question had been the choice. Yes or no. Leave Hunter or stay with him. And as the door slid shut on them Sebastian didn't even know what was happening to him or what was driving him to do things so out of character.

He would have run before. He should have run.

He looked to his left, at Hunter's hard profile and lush mouth and swallowed. What have you done to me?

They reached the top floor in no time and Sebastian had no more time to be stuck in his own head. He stepped out into the room and saw his father standing there with a tight grip on none other than Kurt's arm, bodies of the Council left in a pile in between them.

Hundreds of years since he'd last seen the asshole and what a reunion. He refused to give into the automatic feelings of unworthiness that his father always cast over him. He didn't need, nor want his fucking approval. The guy could have been a stranger in all honesty, there had never been any affection between them, no bond or love.

"Is that you, Sebastian?" The way he said it, so casually and offhand like he was an acquaintance he wasn't quite sure he remembered the name of, only slammed that all home for him. It didn't hurt. It didn't.

He stepped forwards eyes taking the scene in swiftly, his face remaining impassive despite the harsh grip Hunter suddenly had on his arm. "Father. You've made yourself at home I see," he commented just as casually.

"I could say the same about you." The meaning was clear as his eyes flicked to Hunter and back again.

Sebastian made sure it didn't show on his face, but having his father's eyes on Hunter made his skin crawl. The desire to step in front of him was irrational. Stupid and irrational. Very, very stupid and irrational. The vampire was his jailor. Impassioned speech about fighting for the greater good aside, this right here was his ticket out of here. No more jail cells, no consequences. He'd said all along that the rogues were going to be the winning side of this fight and this was his opportunity to join like he'd always planned on doing. Only… something in him was hesitant, that feeling of panic from before getting stronger. Sebastian was fucking incredulous at himself and pissed at the brainwashing Blaine and his merry band had been doing on him. Because that's what it had to be. No way was he having a change of heart… no way he had grown a heart to start caring about what happened to these self-righteous assholes.

Yet.

When he glanced at Hunter from the corner of his eye, his words from the cell block rang through his head like a bell toll.

'Everything you've done up to this point is to prove them wrong but it hasn't worked out for you and the reason is because you haven't got the conviction to see this through to the end. You may dislike the Ohio coven but they have never betrayed you or turned you out. Not like they did.'

"I was working an angle," he said and made a sweeping gesture with his head before he looked his father in the eyes. "Success."

"An angle?" Walter scoffed and tugged Kurt forwards, arm held up in a painful position. "Does that include failing to inform anyone about creatures coming back from the dead?"

"I was discovered before I could report it to the right people," Sebastian explained, back teeth clenching down and fangs lengthening.

Walter rolled his eyes. "I can't say I'm surprised, but I had hoped that you could have been of some use to us during your time in the Ohio coven. But as always, you continue to disappoint me. You are just like your traitor of a mother."

Sebastian swallowed over his growl. "She-" wasn't a traitor you megalomaniac dickface, she just couldn't stand you. "-may have been a traitor but I am certainly not."

Hunter tensed next to him, he could feel it all the way through his arm but he refused to be softened. This is what he had always planned to do. He shouldn't feel bad about it. Hunter had to have known he would.

Walter studied him for a moment, like he had always done when he was a youngling and he was working out what was the best way to use Sebastian to his advantage; whether it be eavesdropping on important conversations or using him to get back at his mother when she was still around. Those eyes moved back to Hunter and he smiled, something cruel and calculating hidden there that made Sebastian uneasy.

"Very well, son of mine. Take your rightful place and join me."

"Sebastian," Hunter said softly, almost a plead. "You don't have to do this."

Sebastian yanked his arm away from his grip, refusing to call it a loss or acknowledge there was a part of him that felt emptier, colder, without it. He glanced at Hunter's face and felt his stomach lurch at the expression written so clearly there.

Betrayed.

"I told you. You should have left while you could," he said quietly, eyes moving down to the ground because he actually couldn't bear to look at that expression any longer.

He turned around and Walter was grinning as he watched them and Sebastian faltered a step seeing it. He suddenly felt like a puppet with his strings being pulled for another's amusement.

"Sebastian, don't," Kurt said, bright blue eyes reading him dead right.

Walter forced the fae's arm higher and he cried out in pain. "Prince's should be seen and not heard," he hissed at him almost lovingly before turning back to Sebastian. He had shot something at Hunter before he even realised what he was doing and his once jailor dropped to the floor, stone still.

"What did you do?" he demanded of his father, black rage filtering in from places unknown.

"Why does it matter?" Walter asked, smile still painted across his lips as he observed his every move like he was waiting for something.

Sebastian froze just before he moved to check on him and he tried to get his head together. He could still hear Hunter's heartbeat, slow, but steady and strong as ever. Whatever was in that dart hadn't killed him… and Walter wouldn't be bothering dragging the bodies of the Council anywhere if they were dead.

He was testing him he realised. Testing his loyalty and watching to see what he would do and Sebastian didn't think that burning hatred of him could get any larger but Hunter hitting the floor had switched something he couldn't name in him. He didn't know where to go from here… but he had to play along for now until he got his head straight.

"I'll help collect the rest of them," he said neutrally.

Walter smirked triumphantly. "Lovely. Marcus will quite surprised when he sees the gifts I have for him."

Italian Translations;

È bello vederti – It's good to see you

So part 1. If there is anything glaringly wrong with it I apologise, most of it was written at various times of night and sleep deprivation! :P
Let me know what you thought! Next chapter, Marcus final showdown!
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