Chapter 42: The Summit
AUTHOR NOTE - apologies the delay in posting between chapters. It's not deliberate - just things are busy in my life and getting time to write is getting difficult. But please enjoy another chapter - in honour of Season 15's mid-season finale.
BW JM
Valentin's POV:
Briskly marching towards the Council Chamber, Valentin couldn't help but feel a sense of hope and confidence for the first time in days. The planning session between Viktor, Bridget and himself had proved to be productive. Despite the progress, he knew there was still some way to go to repairing the relationship between the three leading members of the Volkov Clan. Bridget was still pissed, especially at Viktor's insistence that Kate remain in exile. Thankfully, his sister had decided to stow her feelings on the matter, agreeing there were more pressing matters that needed a united approach.
Striding with purpose, the three Volkov negotiators made their way into the summit. Their entrance was met with an uncomfortable silence as they realised they were the last to arrive and the room's participants seemed to display hostile vibes towards them.
Deciding to ignore the glares and sneers Valentin, Bridget and Viktor took up their seats around the round table. Thankfully the silence was broken by the scrapping of seats and the shuffling of papers as each of the delegates began to prepare themselves for what would most likely be a very long night of debate, discussion and hopefully not too many arguments. At that last thought, Valentin mentally shook himself. Who was he trying to kid. The summit was most likely going to end in blood shed. There was just too much at stake.
Allowing the delegates some time to settle, Valentin turned to Viktor and signalled that he was about to open proceedings. On seeing that his Grand Master had acknowledged, Valentin stood and began to address the room.
"On behalf of Grand Master Volkov and our entire Clan, I bid you all a warm welcome and it stands without really saying, our home is your home and whilst you stay here, feel free to avail of our amenities." As he spoke he couldn't help but catch Heinrich and Josef utter something. Choosing to ignore what was most likely some sort of reference to the user of the house's amenities and Dean, Valentin decided to proceed.
"There's much to get on with and I appreciate that we're all extremely busy, so without further ado, and as Chair, I would urge us to start the agenda." Valentin's request was met with muttered agreement from everyone around the table as papers were shuffled again and the discussion began.
In fact, the first 45 minutes or so seemed to pass with little to no controversy. If Valentin was honest, the topics of discussion were boring, but important none the less. It was due to the fact that the agenda items were reasonably non-controversial and the Volkov second in command prided himself on the decision to load the top of the agenda with such topics in order to create a sense of ease.
Unfortunately, Valentin's run of good luck came to an abrupt end when the Fischer Grand Master huffed and proceeded to slam his fist on the table.
"Enough of this bull shit agenda. I didn't travel 1000s of miles just to hear information I could have read and rubber stamped in my sleep. .. Why don't you quit the stalling Volkov and cut to the real issues…. Let's talk about the 'elephant' in the room. Let's talk about Dean Winchester shaped elephant in the room, shall we?" With his words, Frederick glared directly at Viktor before resettling himself back properly into his seat.
Immediately Valentin could sense his Master's anger rise at the very mention of the hunter. Despite being very tempted to keep with the agenda, he knew any attempt to ignore what was clearly the topic that the majority of the room wanted to speak about, he replied, "As I see that the honourable member of this Council has decided it's time to talk about the critical matters then so be it. But I will state that I was not trying to stall proceedings. I only wished for us to agree the simple and easy stuff before we got to the more pressing issues. But, without further ado, why don't you start the discussion Grand Master Fischer, given you have raised the matter."
Inwardly, Valentin hoped he hadn't made a mistake in given the floor to Fischer, but he had little to no choice. He either allow the debate or be rendered powerless when Grand Masters ignored him.
"Before we get to the hunter, I wish to make a statement on behalf of the Archangel Michael." As Frederick sorted through his papers until he found the aforementioned statement, Valentin took in the other delegates as he attempted to get a better read on the room. Without looking towards his Grand Master, he knew Viktor was pissed and uncomfortable by the sheer mention of the archangel, but was reigning in his temper as they had discussed and agreed. Bridget retained a poker face at the very mention of Winchester and as he turned he took in the Richsteins. What he saw left him deeply troubled.
Valentin had expected some sort of emotion. Any type of movement would have provided him with some comfort, but he had been met with a deathly silence and stillness from the Richstein delegation. A stillness that was unnerving as it was foreign in nature. Inwardly gulping, Valentin turned back towards Frederick and awaited whatever statement of intention that was most likely going to come their way.
"As many of you around this table are aware. I took the heroic and brave decision, on behalf of my clan, and dare I say it, on behalf of all vampire kind, to align ourselves with the true ruler of this world… the Archangel Michael. I know that some of you around this table have been very vocal in your views about my decision."
Valentin couldn't help but move in his chair. He tried to tell himself, it was to be more comfortable, but he knew deep down, it was because of Fredericks' words. The Fischer Grand Master knew too well what every vampire had been saying about the Clan's decision to pollute their blood with that of the archangel. As he thought about the endless comments that leading members of Clans both at the table and across the vampire hierarchy had made about Frederick's decision, the Volkov second in command almost missed Frederick's next words.
"Some see my actions as foolish. Others believe I've poisoned my noble bloodline with heavenly filth. But I say NO! I say RUBBISH! I am the only one, around this table, that has the backbone, balls and the intelligence to align with the winning side."
Frederick's comments were met with scoffs from both Bridget and Viktor, but as Valentin turned his attention back towards both Richsteins' the continued silence only added to his concern. Something was not right. As much as Heinrich and Josef had hated what had happened earlier that evening, they were both united in their hatred and anger at what Frederick had done. So, the lack of any emotion was deeply troubling. It left Valentin uneasy about what would happen next.
"You may scoff all you like Viktor, but you and I both know that Michael is the most powerful entity in this universe. Search as you might, there's nothing or no one that challenge him and win. No one. Not Eve. And dare I say it. but if the king of the Leviathan managed to escape purgatory, he or she too would fail to beat him. Besides, this Michael is not of this universe. This one is battle weary and defeated not one but TWO Lucifers. There's nothing that can stop him and… believe me, he has plans for this world and by allying my clan with him, will ensure that my Clan and the vampire race are at the top of the food chain when he brings about his new world order."
Looking across the table, he could tell that Viktor couldn't stand to hear much more of the clap trap dribble that Fischer was spouting. He was correct as Viktor abruptly stood up.
"ENOUGH! Enough of your nonsense. How could you Frederick? I know that your clan was experiencing difficulty financially and that you had always a chip on your shoulder about your position within the vampire hierarchy, but to poison your blood line. Was it worth it? Was it worth selling out your vampire soul for the scraps that he may or may not throw from his table?"
Having heard enough, Frederick rose and edged a little closer to Viktor. "That's rich coming from you, VOLKOV! You talk about vampire honour and you talk about power, but for centuries you've sat around and done nothing. You have sooooo much power and influence in this world but you do NOTHING! You could have controlled this world and these humans years ago. Instead you hide away. If you're looking for further evidence, just look at where you live. Stuck out here, in the corner of the country, in the arsehole of nowhere, surrounding by trees. You should be in the centre of things."
"In fact. Humans should know all about us. They should know of our existence and of our power and they should fear us. Not view us at best as romantic fops that glisten in the sunlight and at worse, cave dwelling crazed monsters. No! You talk about power and honour but you show neither. Instead, you hide here and you backstab your kin and kind in order to make a few extra dollars. And don't get me started on your delusions of wishing to become our overall supreme leader."
Frederick's bluster was met with continued silence from the Richsteins and Viktor's death glare. Eventually the Volkov responded. "Are you finished Frederick? You're very happy to slag off me and my kind, so why don't I return the favour… " On hearing Viktor's words, Valentin moved to intervene. He knew that the conversation was about to descend into a mud slinging match and no one would win and nothing would be decided.
"STOP! As Chair of this summit, I'm going to have to bring things to an order and I believe that there's nothing to be gained by the conversation descending into hurling abuse at each other. I would remind both delegates that we all agreed to behaving with the utmost integrity and we will all keep to our word. Won't we?!"
Viktor and Frederick continued to glare and snarl at one another for a few more minutes, before each slowly took their seats, all whilst silently goading one another to be the first to break.
"Good… good. Thank you both for agreeing to stand down. It is in no one's interest for us all to fall out. Besides, I feel that there are three issues we need to discuss and we will discuss them in the correct way and in the correct order. The first is about who will take over as the next Alpha of our race. The second, concerns what our race's role is when responding to the archangel matter and the third sits and connects both – a discussion about Dean Winchester. Am I correct? Have I missed anything?"
Looking around the room everyone nodded in agreement, including the Richsteins. "Excellent. Now, to the first point, the matter of agreeing the new alpha."
Valentin had no sooner the words out of his mouth than he was interrupted by Frederick. "What do you mean agreeing the new alpha? As far as I'm concerned, it's irrelevant to even have this discussion, as the rationale and criteria for who would take this position is null and void given the arrival of the archangel."
Immediately Viktor scoffed as he responded. "Rubbish. You're only saying that because you weren't the one to locate and purchase Winchester. Besides, remind me Frederick. … Did you or did you not agree with the rest of the Clans when the decision was made to make the capture of Dean Winchester the perfect way of acknowledging the rightful Clan and Leader to replace our beloved Alpha Father?"
Valentin smiled. He couldn't help it as he remembered the conversation. It had been the one and only time the entire vampire leadership had been united in its approach. Everyone had been angered by the death of their alpha at the hands of Sam Winchester. All had felt it was perfect justice to take what was the most important thing to the younger Winchester – notably to take the older Winchester. Everyone agreed it was the best way of avoiding an all-out war amongst the Clans as they all jostled for position.
"Yes, you are correct Viktor. Me and my Clan agreed but that decision was made at a time before the archangel had arrived and decided to walk this world. Surely everyone around this table knows that Dean Winchester is the archangel's true vessel? Surely, everyone knows that Michael has already used the human and, as he has expressed very clearly to me, he wishes to use him again. With that logic, it makes sense that the criteria for deciding the next Alpha no longer stands and hasn't since Michael arrived. I can openly state that my Clan stopped searching for him the moment we heard the older Winchester had been taken."
"So, with that logic it's no longer a clear certainty that you, Grand Master Volkov should ascend to the position. In fact, given the huge uncertainty amongst our clans and the arrival of the archangel, it would be better that we focus on the global issues rather than look inwards. I move that this summit postpones discussion on the next Alpha, until it is clear what happens when Michael takes control."
Immediately Bridget stood up. Clearly she was angry as she spoke. "You'd love that, wouldn't you? We all are aware of your allegiance to Michael. Wouldn't that work extra well for you, given that you've polluted your blood with the archangel's grace, haven't you?"
Frederick raised his hands to try and calm her down. Typically, his actions came across in a condescending way as a father telling a child to calm down for being too emotional. "Relax my dear Bridget. Calm down, there's no need to get too worked up. .." He was interrupted by an angry Viktor. "Stop insulting her and answer my daughter!"
"I mean no disrespect, my dear Bridget. But in answer to your questions, firstly, there's nothing I find lovely about this entire situation. Do I wish that we didn't have a situation where we have to choose a side? Yes, but Michael is here to stay and he has plans. He has made it clear that he wishes to ally himself with our kind. As a leader, I took the decision to lead my people, but as you all know that the bigger the prize, the bigger the sacrifice."
On hearing those words, Valentin couldn't help but look across the table towards his father. It hadn't escaped him that there were certain similarities. Just like Frederick, Viktor had polluted his body, or specifically his soul, with the essence of another more powerful entity. All with the aim of becoming stronger. The irony had not escaped him. And looking at Viktor, he could tell that his father was thinking something similar as his eyes lowered and a sadness entered his demeanour.
"My decision to align with Michael was made easy. I spoke at great length with him and he is a fair partner in this. He loves the simplicity of our need and desire to feed and we are both in agreement that mankind should not be in charge."
Bridget interrupted, "but you polluted your bloodline?"
"As I said before, with great power, comes great sacrifice and in our case, it was our pure blood that we would sacrifice, but I can assure you that following ingestion, after the first few moments of discomfort, the power that surges through our veins is well worth it. Every single vampire in my clan is 20 times more powerful than they once were. They're basically indestructible."
She retorted. "Aye… but at what cost?"
Realising that the discussion was going array, Valentin endeavoured to bring it back on point. "OK, I believe that we aren't going to agree directly on the alpha leadership issue, and as we're now discussing the archangel issue, why don't we expand this discussion as the other Clans need to outline their concerns." With his words he turned towards the Richsteins. Josef was the first to speak. "If it suits the Chairman, it is only but fair that we hear first from the Volkovs before we outline positions."
On hearing the comments, Valentin's concerns spiked even further. His many years of negotiating told him that the Richstein's were about to change position and that it would most likely be to the detriment of the Volkov Clan and also to the entire summit. Holding it all within himself, he slowly nodded and turned towards his father and hoped that his father could still read his mind and his thoughts. "Very well, Grand Master Volkov, please share your thoughts on the Michael matter."
"Thank you Valentin." Turning back towards the table and specifically looking towards the Fischers, he continued. "When you outline your position Grand Master Fischer, it all seems to make logical sense. Aligning ourselves with such a powerful being, especially one that seems to state that they wish to ally with our kind, seems like a good idea, but in my heart, I know that this creature.. this powerful being cannot be trusted."
"He is a creature of heaven. He hates anything that is unclean … or impure… and I understand that angels view monsters and our kind as something even worse than demons. It stands to reason, that it is not realistic to believe that the archangel would want to associate himself with our kind. Besides, he's given you his grace and there's nothing to stop him from taking it back or from killing all of you in one single easy wave if his hand."
"Tell me Frederick. Can he read your mind or control you through his grace?"
Frederick looked uncomfortable at being asked the question, but did respond. "I know you want to believe that there's a down side to this. And I would be a liar if I didn't have concerns. I had concerns but I have seen the extent of Michael's desire to make this partnership work and I've seen nothing to indicate that he'll abandon us, or betray us. He is as much part of us as we are of him. It would be folly to turn on us. Does that answer your question?"
Smirking, Viktor replied, "You missed your calling Frederick. You would have found a career either as a politician or as an actor with that answer. So… let me get this straight, he can't read your mind and he can't control you?"
After a while, when it was clear that Frederick wasn't going to respond or elaborate any further, Valentin awkwardly attempted to move the conversation on. "So… to summarise, both Clan Masters disagree that Michael is a threat. With such a stalemate, I turn to you, Grand Master Richstein. What is your position and view?"
Valentin took in the room as all attention turned towards Josef and Heinrich Richstein. It was clear that Heinrich had recovered from Viktor's attack earlier, but his silence spoke volumes. Eventually, it was Josef who began to speak.
"We have listened with great interest to both Clans positions on both matters. And if I'm honest, we're in no position to take a side…" Immediately his words were met with huffs of exasperation from everyone as it was clear that all sides wished for a final decision. After all, it was in no one's interest to leave the summit without some sort of accord or agreement even if it was to agree to stay out of each other's business.
It was Viktor that broke first. "What do you mean you can't take sides? Only a few days ago, when you met with us, you were in complete agreement that something had to be done about the archangel. I..I.." Viktor's stuttering was making it clear to Valentin that his father really wanted to expand on his comments, most likely mentioning the earlier fight over Dean.
"Forgive me Grand Master Volkov, the intention was not to confuse or upset you, but a lot has changed since our previous discussion and it has meant that our Clan has yet to be convinced on both the matter of who is the next alpha, never name, what we should do about the archangel. Maybe we need to discuss the other topic, that seems to have been side lined in this conversation."
Valentin closed his eyes. He knew too well what or rather who, Josef was referring to. He had hoped that the subject of Dean Winchester would have been downplayed and included in discussions over the leadership. Bridget, Viktor and he, had all been in agreement that it was best that Dean wasn't discussed too much as they all knew this was sure to see Viktor losing his temper and quite possibly beginning a war amongst the clans.
Bridget decided to jump in. It was clear, it was an attempt to ensure their father didn't lose it. "I assume, you are referring to Mr Winchester? Correct?" No one verbally said yes, but it was clear from all the body language in the room, that she was correct. So she continued.
"Ahh, the 'elephant in the room' and what an elephant! Yes, we captured Dean Winchester and we still hold him securely. He is of no threat to anyone in this room. It's true that the hunter is linked to both issues but I struggle to see why he, a lowly human, is of such importance."
Turning towards the Fischer Grand Master, she continued. "I mean, is it not correct that Michael left his vessel and is currently walking about in a human female's body?" When Frederick nodded in response, she added, "Yes, well I assume that as Michael is such a formidable leader and powerful entity, I can't understand why he would leave such an important asset behind. Do you? … I can only come to the conclusion that he had no real interest in keeping the human, in short, the human is of no strategic interest to him. If Winchester was important, would Michael not have kept him under lock and key?"
On receiving no real response, other than a shifting in their seats, she turned towards the Richsteins. "Soooo,, that leave us about the alpha matter. I was at the table when you both agreed to support our Clan position on Michael. Up until earlier today we were all in talks about this very issue, but after a minor altercation with Viktor you've withdrawn your support on this matter, I'm must say I'm deeply saddened that you've let such a small matter negatively impact on such important future decisions. In short, I can't believe you would endanger the peace and the future of vampire clans because of one pathetic human hunter."
Josef went to respond, but it was Heinrich that stood up. "Don't make light of what happened earlier. YOU were not there. YOU did not see what Viktor done! YOU are in no position to pass comment." Turning directly towards Viktor, Heinrich continued. "We had a deal. Yes, we had a simple agreement, but since we last spoke, a lot has happened. I am deeply concerned by the change in Viktor's behaviour in the last few hours. My understanding is that he has become more unstable. I witnessed that directly when he tried to kill me and over something so minor."
Valentin knew what was coming, but he had to remain neutral and allow the Grand Master his place to speak. Those were the rules after all.
"In answer to the first issue. A lot has changed since the archangel arrived and I have to agree to some extent that the leadership of our race is still to be decided and given the erratic behaviour of the Volkov Grand Master I could not possible support any such leadership bid from them. Equally, I'm unsure of the Fischer Clan's claim that we should join with the archangel. … that said, I remain open to persuasion from both sides. I suggest you try harder to convince me!"
Knowing the signs of an impending explosion, Valentin called for a short recess in an attempt for his Clan to regroup and look at options. Everyone agreed to take a 30 minute break and each delegation left and returned to their respective group rooms.
[Heinrich's POV]
To say that he had been pissed off was an gross underestimation. The wounds went deeper than the physical. For Heinrich, Viktor's attack meant an end to sharing Winchester's delicious blood. But it also signalled the end of any trust they had with one another. Viktor had chosen a human over his own kind and had committed the cardinal sin of attacking another Grand Master. That action alone told Heinrich that the Volkov's didn't see the Richstein's as their equals. Given the power he felt coming from Viktor, Heinrich sensed that the power dynamic had shifted in favour of Volkov which meant they had to reassess their position in order to try and reclaim a better balance of power and retain a stronger position.
That had been the logic as both Josef and Heinrich had entered the summit. They had watched the theatrics play out between both Viktor and Frederick and what he saw troubled Heinrich greatly.
Firstly, the change in the Fischer Grand Master was huge. He could sense the power emanating from the Fischer delegation. It was clear that the archangel grace had changed them both physically and mentally. The big question was whether the change would end well for the Clan and for vampires if they sided with Michael or not?
Then, when he looked towards the Volkov Grand Master he saw there was a similar change. He knew the dynamics within the Volkov Clan were strained but the biggest change was with Viktor. He was obsessed and angry and clearly had a hidden power, but where had the power come from? Further deliberation provided the only rational answer. The new power must have come from Winchester.
It helped that he too had drank from the human and had felt a slight change, but obviously not to the extent of the new powers that currently must be coursing through Viktor's veins. It had been that logic that had led to him trying to bed the human earlier. He assumed that having sex with Winchester must have somehow provided additional energy. Otherwise, Viktor must have done something else. Something that he didn't know about. Either way, it didn't really matter. What mattered was the Richsteins needed to reset the chess board and ensure that their clan gained a more powerful position.
Heinrich had watched with triumph as Valentin had done the only thing he could and that was call a recess. Everyone, and in particular, the Volkov's needed to go away and rethink their position. Heinrich knew what he wanted. It was simple. He had no wish to pollute his or his Clan's blood with archangel grace, but he needed to even the playing field. He needed access to the same power Viktor had. In conclusion, he needed access to Dean Winchester and he wasn't going to take no for an answer. Not this time.
Thirty minutes passed very quickly and during the time, representatives from both the Fischer and Volkov Clans visited the Richsteins and proposed various options. None were well received and before long, all three Groups were back in the chamber and each looked exhausted.
After pleasantries from Valentin, Heinrich decided to cut straight to the point. "Since we are at logger heads on all issues, I would propose the following. I agree with Viktor there is a need for a leader. I disagree that it should be an archangel that decides that leadership. I also agree that it would not be wise that the bounty is Dean Winchester. Instead, I suggest that the next Alpha should be the Clan that captures and brings Sam Winchester to justice for his crime. By agreeing this, Dean Winchester will no longer be a bargaining chip and it will allow our race the opportunity to select the new leader in a fairer way."
The silence that met Heinrich's suggestion left him uneasy. He tried to read the room but to no avail. After a short recess, the delegates returned and with some relief everyone agreed to the proposal. It was there four hours into the summit, that the Clans agreed to hunt down Sam Winchester and the bounty that had been placed on Dean's head was lifted.
Feeling progress had been made, Heinrich then turned to discuss the fate of the older Winchester. "Excellent, with such progress, we now need to discuss what happens to the Dean Winchester. I."
Heinrich kept his temper at bay as Frederick interrupted him. "Maybe I need to make myself clearer as I wouldn't want this to get lost in translation, but as welcome as the decision to hunt down Sam Winchester is, I would stress that the archangel Michael is adamant that he wants his vessel back and intact and he has specifically asked that we, the Fischer Clan, take Dean Winchester with us at the end of these talks. Michael would see this as an act of good faith and would no longer seek out your respective clan's involvement in future plans."
His suggestions sent a shock wave around the room. For the last few months, Michael had been putting pressure on all the Clans to follow the Fischer Clan and align with the archangel. Now, Michael was willing to give up this request. It didn't make sense to Heinrich. The more he thought about it, the more it felt wrong. If the older Winchester wasn't that important to the angel, then why would he give up the power and influence of 1000s of vampires for one human? No, there was more to it and if he had to hazard a guess as to what it was, he would place most of his money on Dean Winchester.
Following that logic, Heinrich replied to Fredericks proposal. "Well now Grand Master Fischer, that sounds like sense, but I can't believe it's the best option for our kind to willingly give over such an important chess piece. Besides, my gut tells me to never underestimate the role of Dean Winchester in any equation and if you need any further evidence to back that up, I suggest you look at a long line of deceased enemies that have all underestimated both flannel wearing hunters."
After his statement, the remaining few hours of the night are spent swapping positions and debate points. By dawn, Heinrich is more and more convinced that it's in his interest to do a deal with neither Clan. To side with Fischer will mean the potential of losing control and possibly his life to the archangel, but siding with Volkov would inevitably mean bending the knee in support of Viktor as the next Alpha. Neither position lacked an appeal.
It was at the third recess that information came his way, via a number of gossiping slaves. Josef informed him that all was not well within the Volkov Clan as Viktor had banished Bridget's lover from the house because she had dared to attacked Winchester. In fact, it was believed that the vampire in question, was preparing to leave the next day. Mulling over various scenarios, Heinrich realised there was a possible third way, one where he could renegotiate his position with both vampires and the archangel.
The summit eventually broke up that morning as everyone wished to refresh themselves and explore and consider other options. Anything to break the deadlock as they agreed they couldn't leave until they got some sort of resolution on the three main areas. As such, Heinrich, Josef and his other delegates made their way back to the rooms. From there, Heinrich arranged for a note to be passed via one of the human slaves to Kate.
Within an hour after sunrise, Heinrich had managed to arrange a meeting between Kate and one of his lesser positioned guards. It was set up to look like a casual encounter, but he tried to ensure that there was something in it for both of them. After all, she craved for the hunter to be gone, and he could possibly deliver that.
Heinrich smiled as he watched his guard return from the meeting. He couldn't help but inwardly rejoice when his trusted guarded nodded and provided him with the signal that their plans were in play. In the end, the evening's discussions had not been a total waste of time.