Hi there! I'm healthy again and here's the next chapter for you. As you can guess it's about Mick's team again. Hope you'll like it. And thanks a lot for your comments. I loved them so much. Feel hugged and kissed. I'll be back within the next five days. That means… yes, around Christmas – as kind of a little Christmas-present. Wish you all the best until then, yours Jenna

Translated by Cleo28

Beta read by Jo1027


Acid Test


"Only the one who knows his limits, knows when he exceeds them."

Rupert Schützbach (* 1933)


"Do you think you're stronger than me? Do you really think that?" the terrible voice gasped in his ear, the voice in which there was nothing but hatred and aggression. "Maybe you're stronger than the others, but in the end I will break you. I will destroy you so deeply that you will never fully recover, but will become either the rabid beast you are in truth or just a whining, shaking thing lying in a corner and begging me to finally allow you to die. Do you hear me? Do you HEAR me?"

He heard him still. At night in his dreams, during the day in his panic attacks and now, now when he was looking at him. This devil who had always believed he had everything under control and would never get into a situation like this. His greed to get Mick back into his hands and to complete what he had started had brought him to this, had caused him be careless and to walk blindly right into their trap. And now, finally, the time had come that Mick could take his revenge for what this man had done to him. He could tear him apart; let him die slowly in the cruelest way he could think of… oh, yes… That was what he needed to help himself heal, free him from the memories and the nightmares. The beast in Mick began to bare its teeth and to run up and down nervously inside him while he was compelled to control himself and to walk quietly behind this man who had shown him that there was indeed hell on earth. Mick could not help it, even though he had his body still under control, he began to transform. Every cell in his body began to tingle and he felt his fangs pushing out.

Gabriel, who was walking diagonally in front of him, cast an admonishing look over his shoulder at him and shook his head almost imperceptibly, sending a mental wave of calmness over to him that Mick took gratefully. He closed his eyes, breathed deeply and tried, as he lifted his eyelids again, to focus on something else. He could not follow his need for revenge, couldn't allow himself to get carried away by this dangerous mixture of hatred, anxiety, tension and fear that was spreading further and further inside him. He had to make sure that his mind had the upper hand. His eyes focused on the sword that was attached with a holster to Gabriel's back. Gabriel had put it on after their first success in this mission. He probably had also worn it under his coat back in Mexico. It was inconspicuous and held the sword tightly to his body where it would barely hinder any other movements he made. He only had to reach briefly over his shoulder to have the sword instantly in his hand.

Mick looked at the sword more closely. He had previously thought it to be a samurai sword but it was not long enough for that. It looked more like a self-made mix of different types of swords and appeared to be very light and extremely sharp. The swords they had both used during the training in Greece had looked a little different and although they had been very similar to this one, they hadn't had this strange symbol, which certainly must mean something, where the hilt blended into the blade.

Mick looked over at the other vampires. The swords Lance, Grigori and Thomas had detached during the brief battle from their hiding place on the undersides of the stretchers and now carried looked very similar to this one and the hilts were decorated with the same ornament. It was an ornamented, wide, rather Celtic-looking cross that spanned over a circle dividing it into four arrays. Inside each one was a strange symbol and in the middle of the cross was a light gemstone. Something about this ornament was strangely familiar to Mick, but he could not think what it was as he was still too tense and had to focus on too many other things at once. His sensitive senses were opened wide and perceived every movement around him perfectly clearly. Like everyone else on his team he knew that they had to expect an attack at any time even though Ritchcroft had cleared the way for them. Gabriel had forced him to transmit to all the units stationed here to lay down their arms and to evacuate all the corridors through which their small group now moved. They were not allowed to enter them until he gave them another command. Apparently the men had taken their commander seriously because so far no other soldiers had appeared and it was surprisingly quiet in the lab. Mick knew that this peaceful impression was deceptive. When he tried, he could hear every now and then excited voices and fast steps from the other corridors that told him that the troops that were stationed here were only waiting for a mistake, a sign from their commander to attack and deep inside he knew they would not get out of here without at least one further fight - regardless of whether their plan worked or not.

"What… what exactly are you planning to do with us… Gabriel?" Ritchcroft now dared to ask and threw a slightly nervous glance at the old vampire past Malik. He had been surprisingly quiet so far, had looked pale and very shocked and Mick was sure that this time his behavior was not a performance. That told him that the subliminally palpable anger which seemed to pulse through the man's body was anger at his own stupidity and the greed that had made him so careless. Nevertheless, when he tried hard, Mick could feel that there was not enough fear inside this man, as if he still had an ace up his sleeve somewhere and was just waiting for the right moment to play it.

"Do you really think that I will tell you that?" Gabriel asked amused and Ritchcroft tried to return his smile but it was a little cramped and not really an honest smile.

"No, but… if you plan on taking us along and trying to get information from us…" The look in Gabriel's direction won something strangely cautionary. "There are a few things that you had better remember before you do this. Certain agreements…"

These words caused Mick's eyebrows to involuntarily wander towards each other and an uncomfortable feeling spread in his stomach. Agreements? Was he talking about the contracts? The Legion itself wasn't adhering to them any longer.

"I don't tend to forget such important things," Gabriel replied now with an even falser smile. "But I think we both know who hasn't adhered to the agreements and that our action is only a result of this misdemeanor. And concerning your person – what is the real reason for your attempt to remember the old agreements? I don't know if your position within the Legion is a sufficient reason to deal with you differently than with any other soldier who raises his weapon against us."

Ritchcroft gasped for air indignantly. "It's not just about my position, but rather…"

Gabriel cut him off with a quick gesture and Malik pushed him roughly to the side to make it possible for the old Vampire to get a better look into the corridor they had just reached. They could now go into two different directions.

"Where do we need to go now?" the Assassin asked and increased the pressure of the hand that held Ritchcroft's arm so much that his face twisted painfully.

"For the control center we have to go right," he answered constrained. "And the detention cells are located in the other direction."

Gabriel glanced down the hallway and Mick did as well, fighting against the next wave of unease that attacked him. But even in this part of the station no soldier was visible. They were still keeping to their instructions and remaining in position and not daring to initiate a direct confrontation.

"Well," the old vampire said and looked at Malik. "Now we'll go separate ways. Search the control center. We will take care of Peterson and Cynthia. Then we'll join you again."

Malik nodded slightly and his small group immediately set into motion hurrying to meet their goal. Lance also pushed his prisoner, who once again cast a hateful glance at Mick before he gave himself up to his fate, roughly forward. The vampire in Mick growled menacingly and bared his teeth and Mick had to stop for a moment to collect himself, pushing back the surge of terrible memories that threatened to overcome him. His heart was no longer beating steadily and he had started to sweat. Sure signs that his trauma was again making an impact. 'Not yet… not yet… First we must find Frank and get out of here. Frank… It's about Frank!'

Mick started off again, rapidly catching up with the others. Gabriel had not waited for him but the slightly worried look that he gave Mick told him that the old vampire knew exactly what kind of difficulties he was having. However, he said nothing. Instead he sent another wave of calmness over to him that allowed Mick's tense shoulder muscles to relax a little and let him focus again on his surroundings. Mick noticed with horror that this was perhaps not such a good idea. Though parts of it were more modern and the station had really looked a little different than the ones that Mick had set his eyes on before, the part of the corridor they were now moving into looked incredibly similar to the cell blocks of the other laboratories. It felt almost as if Mick was moving with each step he was taking further back into the past year. His heart rate accelerated even more, his breathing became faster and shallower and the first tremor ran through his body that was stretched to the breaking point.

'You're not a prisoner… you can move and fight freely… You're not helpless… not a victim… not a victim.'

Mick concentrated with all his might on the soothing voice in his mind, trying to remain calm and to breathe evenly, to give the memories no chance to upset his mind even further. But it was so difficult… so very difficult.

'This is not the same laboratory. Look at it. In the hell you were in there weren't these strange inlets in the ceiling.'

Mick frowned. Were there automatic security doors hidden in the ceiling? No, nothing like this had been in the other laboratory and somehow Mick did not like this at all. His eyes met Gabriel's and he knew that the old vampire had also noticed this significant danger.

'We have to be really careful!' Mick this time heard Gabriel's voice in his head and Lance's worried look over to Gabriel told him that he had also heard this warning.

"Okay, where exactly is the professor now?" Lance asked immediately and grabbed his struggling hostage a little more firmly. Gallagher's cheek muscles twitched with tension and anger, but finally he nodded towards the right-hand side. "Cell 3, over there."

Mick did not hesitate but hurried toward it along with Gabriel hoping to indeed find the professor there and to be able to chase away the feelings of anxiety and fear inside him.

The cell door had no real lock but instead had a field for a number code. He knew that, had so often heard the fine clicking and beeping in the past year.

"What's the code?" Gabriel addressed Gallagher who at first needed a little more painful pressure on his shoulder to spit out the numbers.

"46-33-28-33," Gallagher uttered from between his clenched teeth and Mick quickly keyed in the numbers with trembling fingers. A shiver of the most unpleasant kind ran down his back as the lock opened with a much too familiar sound causing his stomach to cramp painfully. Gabriel now opened the door and the smell of disease and meds penetrated his nose. His heart was beating hard against his chest and cold sweat formed on his forehead. He could see the bed from his position and noticed immediately that a person was indeed lying on it. At first he was not able to get himself to enter the room as he felt at once so constricted, so locked up and threatened. His mouth had gotten totally dry and his breathing was again much too quick.

Men in white… They came into the room pushing the cart with the things they needed in the room and talking so excitedly about the latest research results. Mick tried to move, to back away from them and prevent them from doing their experiments with him again. But the shackles were too tight. They did not give enough space to move. And the sedatives weakened him too much to destroy the bonds and to free himself from them.

'That's not real!' Mick heard Gabriel's voice in his head and his memories deflated, releasing him from their tormenting grip. He breathed deeply in and out under the old vampire's worried gaze and responded to the interrogative rising of his eyebrows with a quick shake of his head. He could do it, had to go in there to prove to himself that nothing would happen to him, that his memories could not distract him from fulfilling his mission and that he would leave this room again unscathed. Gabriel seemed to sense how important this fight was for Mick, for he waited patiently until Mick had once again taken a deep breath and then took the first step into the room. Only then did he set himself into motion following Mick and protecting his back, giving him a little more security.

Mick's intestines knotted once again and he caught his breath as he realized that the man in the hospital bed was in fact Frank, more dead than alive. He was hardly recognizable, so emaciated and pale, with sunken cheeks and deep circles under his eyes. Mick was shocked for a moment and had to cope with the sight first of all, before he could approach him. Frank looked as if in the few weeks that had passed since his abduction he had aged by years and had been infected with a disease that led inevitably to death. Beside his bed was a drip that provided him through a venous catheter with fluid, and on a small table on the other side were some boxes with pills, a vial containing a red liquid and injection paraphernalia. At least they had tried to keep him alive - which did not explain why he looked so terrible.

Mick took a deep breath again and walked with a wildly pounding heart toward his old friend, stopped by his bed and bent down to him. His fingers trembled slightly as he touched the professor's narrow shoulder and the quiet "Frank?" that slipped from his lips sounded a little raspy.

The professor's head moved minimally turning to him a little more and his chest rose and fell under a heavy breath.

"Frank?" Mick tried again and now Gabriel appeared beside him, stretched out his hand and felt the pulse of the frail looking man. His strained facial expression revealed clearly that he did not like what he felt there. The professor was in even worse condition than they had expected and was hardly able to walk. It would not be easy to get him out of here without endangering his life even more. And how would they fight if they had to carry him as well as guard their hostages? The tightness that spread in Mick's chest now also caused him to feel sick and he swallowed hard. 'Don't give up without having tried! There must still be a way to get this man out of here safely,' his mind that had more and more problems to fight against his troubled feelings told him. 'Keep your nerve! Don't panic!'

Frank's eyelids twitched a little now and then they opened very weakly. His eyes searched Mick's face, trying to realize who the person in front of him was, but he did not have his glasses on and also seemed to be otherwise too weak to perceive anything very clearly.

"We'll get you out of here, Frank," Mick let him know softly with all the optimism he still had in his voice. His eyes moved quickly through the small room looking for a solution to the problem but he could not see one, only noticed how confining this room was… so terribly confining. His eyes quickly searched Gabriel for the calming influence he needed now. The old vampire had straightened up long ago and was now tampering with the small table diagonally behind Mick.

"Mi… Mick?" Frank croaked in disbelief and Mick's head flew around to him fastening on his face and reaching out for his old friend with all his senses in order to distract himself, to prevent the panic in him from escalating even more.

'Not your cell… you're free… free… among friends… you have to take care of Frank… But Gallagher…' His eyes darted back to the door, but almost at the same moment he felt Lance accessing his mind and sending a soothing 'Everything's under control'.

Mick looked back at the professor who blinked a few times to see Mick better. His hand moved, lifted only millimeters from the mattress. Mick took it and out of a deep need pressed it gently to show not only the professor that he was really here, but also to tell himself that they were close to their goal, that they did not have to stay here for much longer and would soon be out of the basement again. No longer imprisoned.

"Mick…" The hint of a smile appeared on the professor's chapped, dry lips and he took a deep, shaky breath.

"Yes," he replied in a husky voice. "We've come to get you out of here, Frank."

The smile on Frank's lips became a little clearer, but it disappeared as quickly as it had come, making room for an expression of deep concern. He moved his head a little, shaking it.

"This… this is too dangerous… it's not worth it."

"You got me out of the lab," Mick responded quietly and his need to simply lift the weakened man out of bed and take him along grew with every second that passed. "We won't let you down!"

The professor's lips moved, but it took a moment until he had enough strength to actually produce something. "I… I… can't… I've no strength left…" The professor closed his tired eyes, but instantly opened them again. "You… you have to leave quickly… Mick. Be… before… they notice… that you're here."

Mick gritted his teeth and fought with all his might against the underlying meaning of those words. Basically, the professor told him that they had come too late, that they would not be able to save him. His eyes searched Gabriel's, who had also stopped because of Frank's words and gave off a deeply thoughtful impression. There was doubt, unease, indecision - emotions that Mick was not used to feeling inside Gabriel and that worried him. But he also felt that the old vampire knew a solution to their problem, that he knew how to save Frank. But for some reason he hesitated.

"We're not going to leave without you," Mick said firmly, but looked at Gabriel. The old vampire hesitated for another moment, then nodded and turned back to the table holding the meds while Mick turned to Frank. "We came to free you and we will do that now."

Again, a slight shake of the head and now there was a little desperation as well in the professor's nearly lifeless eyes. "I… I can't do this anymore… I'm dying."

Mick's intestines twisted painfully and now he was shaking his head emphatically though he knew that the professor was right because he heard how slow and irregular his heart was beating and how hard it was for him to breathe. He indeed did not have much time. Gabriel now had to act quickly - and it seemed as though that was his intention.

"Mick." The old vampire touched his shoulder. Mick straightened up and furrowed his brows in confusion when he realized that Gabriel had prepared a syringe. "I had really hoped to be able to avoid this, but…" He took a deep breath and nodded encouragingly to him then. "Roll up your sleeve."

Mick looked at Gabriel perplexed. "What?"

"If you really want to save Frank, do what I tell you to do."

Mick didn't understand at all and yet he gave in to the old vampire's urging and pushed up his sleeve, frowning. He did not even wince when the needle sank into his skin, pierced his vein and his blood was drawn into the syringe. He was freed quickly but tore his eyes open in horror because Gabriel now broke the connection from the venous catheter in Frank's arm and attached the freshly-filled syringe there.

Mick gasped and could not believe what he was seeing there. "No!" he uttered shocked and tried to grab Gabriel's arm, but was pushed back unusually roughly as Gabriel pressed the blood into the catheter.

"What are you doing!" Mick exclaimed upset and he again stepped toward the two although he could no longer prevent what was happening before his eyes. "Are you trying to kill him?"

"No, this will save his life," Gabriel replied calmer than he actually was inside and put the syringe away. "That's the only thing we can do. And you need to stay calm, Mick!"

Anger seethed in Mick, mingling with the disbelief that had seized him, and he took another menacing step toward Gabriel. "He… he doesn't even have the strength left to transform! And my blood is totally unpredictable!"

"Not in relation to Frank," Gabriel responded still far too calm and again felt for the professor's pulse. "And he won't turn. You really should start reading Frank's notes. Then you would understand more of what's happening here."

Mick was not only stunned - but for a moment he did not even know what he should feel. Unfortunately, this state did not last long and the feelings came back with a vehemence that took Mick's breath away, knotted together his intestines and squeezed his heart. 'What's happening here? What the hell is happening here?' the thought pounded in his head and deep inside another thought was stirring that in some way he had been cheated, had been betrayed.

Peterson, who had closed his eyes, exhausted, opened them again and looked wearily up at Gabriel. "This… this won't help."

"Yes, it will," the vampire replied and began under Mick's unbelieving eyes to carefully remove the catheter from the professor's arm. "Mick supplied himself yesterday with enough blocking agents to bring the V-hormones and blocking substances in his blood into a balanced state."

"Then… then the cure was enough?" Frank asked in surprise as Mick just stood by while his mind wrestled with the things that opened up before him mercilessly, barely able anymore to fight the terrible feelings accompanying them.

"Well, I think that Mick has unwittingly found another way to help and supply himself with the things he needs," Gabriel replied softly, and a cold claw grabbed Mick's heart and squeezed it painfully. Beth… He meant Beth's blood.

Frank's eyes became nearly as wide as Mick's. "That… that means Beth's blood alone is enough to… to keep the vampire hormones in check?"

The claw grasped more firmly and yet Mick's heart rate accelerated further. What the hell were these two driving at? And why was Frank now indeed giving a more alert impression? Why did his heart and his breathing stabilize more and more? What was going on?

"It looks like it," was Gabriel's short answer. He now grabbed the professor's forearm, slid his own arm beneath him and helped him to carefully sit up. Mick stepped away from them, ran his hands over his face and tried to free himself from that feeling of being betrayed and deceived. This could not be… shouldn't have happened… It was his own fault that he knew nothing of these crazy things. He should have read the professor's book, should have informed himself about it all.

"Does… does that also mean that your blood alone can help him in case his human side wins too much the upper hand?" the professor asked bravely though it was noticeable that the movements and the upright posture troubled him considerably. He was shaking noticeably with the effort, and squinted his eyes a few times, but then his questioning gaze roamed back to Gabriel and Mick held his breath.

"Probably," was the vampire's answer and Mick could not believe what he was hearing. "But so far we've never gotten into such a situation."

"I knew it!" Frank said and life started to glimmer in his tired eyes again.

"How wonderful!" burst out of Mick with an almost hysterical laugh and his wounded soul cried out in anger and disappointment. "And even better that I've been informed so wonderfully about all this!"

Gabriel looked at him seriously. "We had and still have no real time for this, Mick, that's all. And I didn't want to touch on an issue I was not really sure about myself. I only know the speculations in Frank's notebook and I think we can clear this all up a lot better now that we can talk with Frank in person."

The professor nodded in agreement, but even his apologetic glance could not appease Mick or prevent the distrust in him from becoming rampant, causing this hollow, uneasy feeling inside him, causing his fears and tension to increase. There was so much that he did not understand, so much that apparently had been kept from him. His already unstable world, the idea he had held of himself and of the people around him cracked and began to crumble. Coraline, Gabriel, Lance and now even Frank… No one seemed to be really honest. They had all kept secrets, lied and concealed important things about him. He could not really trust anyone. Even Frank had lied and had not told him that he had done experiments on himself with Mick's blood! He had to have done this because Gabriel said that Mick's blood was not dangerous for him. His body somehow had to be accustomed to it as it even helped him recover. Why the hell was he recovering? The professor won with every second that passed more strength, a healthier complexion, a more alert look. Nevertheless, he still needed Gabriel's help to get up and gazed with a deeply unsettling look in Mick's direction. Gabriel apparently did not want to interrupt his plans and just carried on, although he had to feel exactly what was going on inside Mick. But he had no regard for him… just carried on… like all of them … they had carried on… against his will.

"I will explain everything to you… I promise," the professor stammered and Mick avoided his eyes and crossed his arms in front of his chest so as to not give in to his deep need to grab at least one of the two men and to throw him across the room. He clenched his teeth, trying to calm the snarling vampire in him somehow. His human side could not really handle the new information either but struggled with a chaos of feelings that were hardly bearable and inwardly threw him completely off track.

"You mustn't think that I lied to you, Mick," Frank went on with a trembling voice, as Gabriel was moving with him toward the door, carrying most of his weight and Mick felt forced again to look at him. The professor's eyes were full of sincere remorse, but it did not touch Mick; it was too late, the damage had been done and everything between them was broken… broken, destroyed by the lies, the secrets standing between them.

"I didn't tell you anything about my own tests because I knew they would upset you too much," Frank continued to fight for Mick's confidence. "But everything else I've told you is true… and I've given Beth the book because I wanted you to read everything. I was hoping you would do it…"

"Be quiet!" Mick growled dully and could do nothing to stop it as the vampire in him took control and ousted the human who was pressing for answers to his questions. Instead he abandoned himself to his anger and contempt for this new traitor. "I don't want to hear it!"

He noted that Gabriel tensed up and with a worried look pushed Frank through the door toward Lance and Gallagher and by doing so planted himself as a protective shield in front of the professor. He was still too closely connected with Mick not to notice how strong Mick's need was to pounce on the professor and to get all the information he needed by force.

"Everything's a lie!" Mick heard himself say in a strange, cold voice as his chest rose and fell with the rapid breaths he was taking. "EVERYTHING!" His gaze rushed across the room because he felt suddenly so alone and so distressed that he could barely breathe.

"Mick, we'll tell you everything you need to know - but not right now," Gabriel said firmly and looked him straight in the eyes trying to get through to him and once more convey to him the peace he needed to calm down, to be able to escape the emerging psychotic fit. But this time Mick blocked it off, the vampire escaped Gabriel's grasp, and sent an angry 'Don't you dare do that!'

"You have to calm down," Gabriel still tried, now on an ultrasonic frequency so that the humans present didn't notice what was happening. "No one here's a traitor! And Frank's feelings for you were never feigned. You can feel this! Don't let your trauma take control, Mick! We cannot afford this now. You have to get this back under control!"

"I don't have to do anything!" Mick gasped back and at once felt so strange. He moved slowly up to the old vampire, tense and ready to attack if that was necessary. He wouldn't let anyone fool him again… not anyone. He was his own master… not a victim… not a victim… alone, but not a victim… alone… so alone.

"Mick - concentrate on your human side," Gabriel tried to get through to him but also tensed his body, ready to also physically take him on if it was necessary. "Think of our training. Remember, what you have to do when you lose control."

Lies, all just lies. All just traitors. They all wanted his blood. Everyone just wanted to manipulate him and then strap him down again… there on the bed… do their experiments with him. But he would prevent it, he would never allow it to happen again…even if he had to kill them, kill them all.

"Mick?" Was this uncertainty in Gabriel's eyes, or even fright? It was only briefly there, then the old vampire's face became all cold and hard, his eyes bored into Mick's. "You won't do this. You must stop now!"

"Never!" Mick shook his head as he struggled against the energetic pressure he felt at once in his head and chest. It was hard for him but he moved toward Gabriel, bared his fangs and let out a low menacing growl. He would take Frank and then disappear with him. That was a good plan… a good plan… and then he would learn the truth about everything and would kill all those who had done this to him, who knew the things that he did not know, who did not want to tell him the truth… Even if he had to die, he would learn the truth. That was all that mattered, all that was important.

Mick stopped right in front of Gabriel, stared at him and told him with every fiber of his body that he would not be able to stop him. No one could. No one! Fight… fight… not give up… to death… death… Not a victim anymore… Mick winced slightly as from somewhere else another energy scratched very weakly at his mind, as if something or someone was looking for him, was groping for him without knowing exactly how to do it. He blinked, trying to get rid of the tingling to fully focus on what he wanted to do but he could not, because a part of him recognized the energy, immediately called after it, reached out for it almost desperately.

Knowledge visibly lit up in Gabriel's eyes, followed by a wave of relief and a mental, inviting "Lance!" that even Mick could hear and the next minute this energy shot from outside deeply into his mind and caused him to gasp for air, stunned. Beth! Beth was here. Now he felt it very clearly, the connection to her mind that was rapidly conveyed to him with the help of the two other vampires and only seconds later the first images passed his mind's eye. Seth, Talbot, Carl… a strange and unsympathetic looking policeman, the interior of an OB-van, flashing monitors. Concern… deep concern. She was worried about him, had felt that something was wrong, let him know that she was with him, that she believed in him, that he was only surrounded by friends and they all urgently had to get out of there. Beth… She was all that mattered, all that was important. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply in and out. There was so much energy at once that supported him, reinforcing the connection to Beth, helping him to remember who he really was, who was on his side and what his mission was. No enemies. Here with him there were no enemies except for Gallagher. Only friends who had perhaps not shared all their secrets with him, but still were friends, were fighting with him for the same goal. He was not alone, didn't need to fight against everything and everyone.

When Mick opened his eyes again, the vampire had withdrawn, the human was back and completely bewildered by his loss of control and was breathing heavily and haltingly, while his heart was pounding hard in his chest.

Gabriel also took a deep breath and finally dared to relax. He did not seem to be angry, instead focused immediately on what was important now.

"Lance," he said, turning slightly to the equally troubled looking vampire behind him, "take Gallagher, get Cynthia and then come back here."

Lance reacted immediately, pushed Gallagher roughly forward and disappeared quickly from Mick's view. Mick still could not cope with what had just happened to him. What had gotten into him? How could he lose control and endanger the whole mission?

Gabriel grabbed his shoulders resolutely, forcing him to look back into his eyes. "This can happen," he said gently. "And it's not your fault but mine. I should have considered that this would strain you too much and should have better prepared you for this. I'm really sorry. We just have to ensure now that it doesn't happen again, okay?"

Mick nodded hesitantly and looked at the still very pale and very concerned looking Frank, who had to support himself against the wall next to Gabriel to be able to stand upright, but was unable to bring himself to say anything.

"I want you to keep up contact with Beth," Gabriel said now, and Mick looked at him again. "Lance and I are going to support her and you as much as possible, okay?"

Mick nodded again and in fact felt that Beth was still connected to him and somehow it really calmed him. At the same time he began to feel some worry take shape in his mind. Where exactly was she? It was impossible that she had remained in the house with Logan. Instead she had to have somehow come closer to the laboratory. Talbot! He had seen Talbot! That meant she was with his team.

"She is in the midst of a police unit," Gabriel reassured him and in doing so told him that he had seen these images as well. "Nothing will happen to her there. And you need her."

Yes, that was true - he needed her in order to not lose touch with reality down here in the lab under all this stress, to avoid letting this stressful situation once again bring his manic side out of him. This could not happen even once, no matter how great his fears were or how confusing his feelings were. And he was in no way allowed to doubt his friends and to isolate himself in this situation and expose himself to his trauma. Although he had vowed not to do it again: he had to use Beth – just this one more time.

It was not long before Lance came back with Gallagher followed by a very worn-out looking Cynthia. Gabriel's requesting gaze was enough to remind her what her real mission had been. She reached into her hair and detached the barrette from it even before she had reached the old vampire and handed it to him under Gallagher's astonished gaze. Mick could almost feel the man's anger at himself grow as Gabriel approached the first available camera in his vicinity with rapid steps and affixed the little device that had been hidden in the barrette to it.

"Let's hope it works," Gabriel muttered, grabbed Frank's arm and pointed with a nod in the direction from which they had come.

Mick once again tried to breathe deeply and to bring more peace into his still quite upset and shaky insides as their little entourage set into motion again. He focused more on Beth and his connection to the other vampires, trying to gain strength and confidence from the thought that he was not alone and soon felt an even stronger access to the vampires who were further away. Somewhere Thomas sent out the feeling that everything had worked out well and they would now open the doors for the other teams, and another fear began to evaporate. The reinforcements came. The more people they had inside, the more likely it became that they could indeed leave the lab without suffering greater losses, unless something still went wrong. But why shouldn't everything work out for once? Why shouldn't a plan fully succeed for once?

'Keep your senses open and your mind alert,' was the next quiet order from Gabriel's direction and a small shiver ran down Mick's back, because there was suddenly such a tingling within him that he could not completely assign to anything but it calmed him immensely. And just seconds later, he knew what it was: Gabriel contacted the other's fast approaching energies, energies that Mick was very familiar with: Josef and Coraline. They now advanced quickly toward them with their teams, were approaching fast and Mick now started to cling with all his might to the idea that all would go well, that it would not be long until they were outside the building with Peterson and their important hostages. Outside, out of this nightmare, the narrowness and these hard, restrictive walls around them. He would again breathe fresh air, see open spaces in front of him and move freely… and he would see Beth, could take her in his arms and let her soothing closeness comfort him. Only she could make sure that the dangerous emotional chaos within him, these terrible memories disappeared completely. Yes, he had to get out here, had to get to her as soon as possible and without further delay.

But there was yet again such a strange feeling crawling up in him, a vague idea, like a preliminary tremor that only announced the approaching disaster; a slight nervousness, a discomfort that came from one of the other vampires who were not with them. And then it happened.

'What are you doing?' Mick heard Thomas horrified voice in his mind the next moment, and once more energy shot through him, this time a warning, an alarm signal. But it came too late. Only seconds later, something happened in Mick's immediate surroundings. A clicking and humming that made Mick wince violently was heard from above them and then steel doors shot out of the ceiling not far away from them in front and behind them, jailing them all in the passage of the corridor in which they were. There it was the ace Ritchcroft had held unnoticed in his hand, the trap none of them had wanted to walk into. And the panic was back.