Chapter 6- Rise and Fall
Disclaimer- I don't own Underworld, any resemblance in the name of the characters is purely coincidental. (Lol)
The day passed uneventfully for Octavian. Usually he spent the days asleep; but he couldn't trust himself in such close proximity to these mortals. George spent the day staring in wonder at Octavian, and asking questions.
"What about crucifixes?" George asked, spontaneously. Octavian sighed at the idiocy of the question and quickly responded.
"They don't do anything." Octavian answered without even turning to recognize George.
"What about mirrors then?" George asked.
"Yes, we can see ourselves in mirrors." Octavian replied. "What time is it?"
"About 6 o'clock." George replied. "What is it like being a vampire? Living for so long?"
George wondered aloud.
"It cannot be explained." Octavian replied cryptically.
"Can you make me into a vampire?" George asked.
"Yes."
"Will you?"
"No."
"What about..."
"Enough! You're driving me insane!" Octavian interrupted angrily. George quieted down and a few minutes of silence ensued.
"Then what are we going to do?" George asked.
"Peirce" One of his underlings called from across the room. Peirce lifted his head in surprise, he was still not used to the tone that his name carried. He was used to it being used as a perquisite to a series of barked orders or condemnations. That was when Lucian was the leader of the Lycans. Now that Lucian was dead, Peirce had been appointed in charge. Now when his name was spoken, it was with a mix of reverence and respect. It was true, he hated the way that Lucian ordered him around; but he respected it. Now Lucian was dead, and Peirce was in charge, and he didn't like it.
"What?" Peirce asked.
"We're running out of money. We don't even have money for food anymore. what should we do?" The underling asked. Peirce looked up, his eyes showing a flare of rage.
"What we've always done! We work for our money. Did you expect that becoming a Lycan made it so that you no longer had to work?" Peirce asked, angrily.
"No, sir... I just."
"Get a job." Peirce spat. The man backed up in terror and left the room slowly.
"Don't be so hard on the new recruits. They still have much to learn. You must have patience." Grace said soothingly.
"He must have been a new recruit to ask me such a blatantly stupid question." Peirce responded. He looked up at Grace again appreciating her beauty.
"You're so beautiful, has anyone ever told you that?" Peirce asked, reaching his hands over to her soft flesh.
"Only you... about every day." She replied, smiling at the flattery clasping his hand with her's. Peirce approached her and connected with her in a playful kiss.
"Oh god, Peirce." Grace gasped, running her hands over his crotch.
"Sir!" Another man shouted from the doorway. Peirce released himself from the kiss and stared daggers at the man at the doorway.
"What." He growled, clenching his fists.
"Sir, you're going to want to see this." The man said, excitedly. Peirce glanced back at Grace and then went to the doorway to follow him. Grace followed them at his side.
"I wish that Lucian was still alive, and still in charge." Peirce stated.
"Why do you keep him around? The body is going to rot soon." Grace said.
"He is a leader to be revered. To be respected. He will get as much of those two things as possible before is he properly buried." Peirce stated, bluntly.
"That's what this is all about." The man said earnestly.
"What do you mean?" Peirce asked in shock.
"Lucian stirred, sir!" The man replied. At this, Peirce struck the man across the face, sending him sprawling to the ground.
"You idiot! Lucian is dead!" Peirce shouted with rage.
"But sir, he is not. I swear I saw him stir." The man whimpered. Peirce raised his fist to strike the man again.
"No, Peirce. He speaks the truth." Peirce lowered his fist at once and turned his gaze to the entrance of t hallway.
"Lucian." Peirce gasped in awe.
Colonel Henderson he was growing impatient at the recent developments.
"Escaped?" Henderson asked, angrily.
"Yes, sir." The soldier replied. Henderson paced back into the lab and examined the patients from behind a one way mirror.
"Report." Henderson ordered.
"None of these men are showing signs of being able to control the Lycan ability at will." The scientist replied.
"Fine... get rid of them." Henderson demanded, as he left the room. He was just down the hallway when he heard the yells of the subjects as the poison gas was vented into their rooms.
"I thought I told someone to soundproof that room!" Henderson exclaimed.
"I'll get someone right on that." One of the soldiers stated, walking off towards a phone. Henderson finally made his way to the final lab. Where one of the most brilliant geneticists was working on a treatment to incorporate certain Lycan traits into the human genetics without turning them into a Lycan, or killing them.
"Any luck?" Henderson asked, not really expecting good news.
"I can't get any closer to a finished product without more samples. Not those home-bred ones! I need a powerful Lycan, all to myself. Then, you will have your treatment." The scientist answered.
"Sir! General Roberts on the phone." A young aid called, handing the phone to Henderson.
"Go ahead General." Henderson said.
"Tell me Colonel... are you getting results yet?" Roberts asked.
"We need more time... more funding." Henderson replied, bluntly.
"How much time and funding have you already been granted? This project cannot go on for much longer. There are people who are wondering where the money is going, and soon they're going to find out."
"Sir, all we need is a powerful living test subject, either Lycan or Vampire. Once we get this, everything we dreamed of this program will be realized." Henderson promised.
"If you don't capture this test subject in one month your funding is being pulled." Roberts threatened.
"Don't worry, sir. I'll get it done." Henderson assured.
Peirce still bowed his head in reverence, Lucian stood up in plain sight smiling down onto him.
"Sir, I don't understand. How are you alive?" Peirce asked.
"I remember from the time Kraven first shot me... I was dying; but I was still strong enough to crawl on all fours. I was going to go for the syringes, filled with Amelia's blood, that Raze threw on the ground next to me; but then I saw Kraven standing over Selene and Michael. I knew I had to stop him first. So I crawled over to him and knifed him in the leg. So he shot me a few more times and then stumbled away. At this point every single inch of my body felt like it was on fire. The pain was indescribable. A few minutes after I was shot, I managed to crawl the couple yards I needed to, to get to the bag of syringes Raze brought. Every movement was agony; but I persisted on. I grabbed one of the syringes, put it into my arm and I remember pressing down, and then nothing. I didn't inject the whole syringe into my arm, just a few drops. Now I have awaken in this place, and I have no idea how I've gotten here."
"Sir... you've been dead for over a week." Peirce replied.
"Tell me." Lucian commanded.
"After you... died. Corvinus came down and retrieved your body, Viktor's body, and a few others. We could not resist him, as we were still reeling from the defeat."
"Viktor's body? He's dead?" Lucian asked, excitedly.
"Yes... cut down by Selene's very sword." Peirce replied.
"Selene? The one who bit Michael?" Lucian pressed.
"Yes, sir. That's the one." A triumphant smile came over Lucian's features.
"Please continue." Lucian pleaded.
"After Viktor was killed we got reports that the Coven had burned to the ground." Peirce continued.
"By Lycans?" Lucian asked.
"No... by Marcus. He also killed Kraven that same night." Peirce corrected.
"Kraven dead?" Lucian asked, his smile growing more broad.
"That's not all, after that Marcus killed Tanis, and his father." Lucian's smile faded as he heard Tanis' name.
"Tanis? Killed?" Lucian asked, somberly.
"Yes, sir."
"Corvinus? Marcus actually killed Corvinus?" Lucian asked with awe.
"Yes, sir. Apparently when Marcus was summoned he somehow became a hybrid. We managed to smuggle you off of Corvinus' ship before the explosion. Then, we brought you here."
"Please continue."
"Marcus went to free his brother, William. When he got there, he managed to free him; but Selene, Michael, and some of Corvinus' men came to stop him. Selene killed Marcus, and Michael killed William."
"There have been many new developments since I have left. Tell me... where is Raze? I really must talk to him." Lucian asked.
"Raze is dead... sir." Peirce replied, somberly.
"Who else is dead?"
"Taylor died, just about everyone died." Peirce continued.
"We have a lot of work to do, Peirce." Lucian said with a grimace. Peirce looked up earnestly to hear his master's desires. Things were going to be put back to the way they were.
Gaius seated himself at a table next to Frederick. There seemed to be no one else seated there at the moment.
"I talked with Selene." Gaius grumbled.
"I take it... that it didn't go well?" Frederick asked.
"She's not going to forgive Octavian for what he did." Gaius continued, sorrowfully.
"She's involved with Michael now, the chances for Octavian restarting something with Selene now are slim to none." Frederick warned.
"He will try." Gaius said, smiling.
"Yes, I know Octavian will; but he will only find heartache down that path." Frederick pressed.
"You don't understand. Octavian has waited, all of these years for an opportunity to see her again."
"It gets worse." Frederick stated.
"How so?" Gaius inquired.
"Selene and Octavian are two of the oldest vampires alive, they will both be frontrunners for the election of the leader of the vampires."
"God." Gaius replied.
