AN: Here we go lads! Things are all starting to come together! :D

Riza edged her way around Roy as she tried to see what had elicited such a reaction from him. Dread pooled in her stomach as she spotted Chris. She didn't know who the man was, but he reminded her of a snake. Cold, cunning, and ready to strike at any sudden movement. His crisp white suite looked incredibly out of place in the forest. The other thing that bothered her was the fact that he was holding on tight to Chris Mustang. She didn't seem particularly happy about being here either. What is going on?

"We do not negotiate in hostage situations Mr. Kimblee," her grandfather spoke. He stood at the front of the line, arms crossed over his chest. Pinako stood on his right, her hands itching to grab something that was in her pocket. On his left stood her father, his right hand resting on a gun in his holster. This was not good.

Upon hearing Grumman's words, Roy surged forward. Riza could feel the anger rolling off of him. She clamped onto his hand, holding him in place. If he was to go out there then it wouldn't do anyone any good. He turned around in disbelief, staring at her, then down at their hands. Riza shook her head, urging him to stay quiet.

"That's a shame," Kimblee replied, his voice smooth and unsettling. A slow smile crept across his face. Roy bristled.

"We do not negotiate," Grumman repeated. "However you are more than welcome to rest here for the night. I assure you, no harm will come to you under my command. Just let her go free and we will talk."

"I don't care about her," he spat, shoving Chris forward. She stumbled but caught herself, turning to glare angrily at the man. His hand was still firmly clamped on her arm. Kimblee… That was who Roy had tailed and found him conspiring with the Hunters. If he was here… Oh, this really isn't good. "I just needed a way in," he grinned.

"A way in for what?" Grumman asked, his voice hard. Gone was the conversational tone.

Kimblee simply grinned. "I would like to propose a trade," he announced.

"Did you not hear me before?" Grumman asked, but he was ignored.

"This woman for Roy Mustang. I know he is here." Kimblee's eyes found Roy, his grin widening. "Ah, there you are."

"What interest do you have in making a trade?" Grumman asked him.

"We have some unfinished business. There are people who would very much like to meet with him."

Roy moved to stake a step forward. Riza tugged him back.

"Roy, no," she whispered furiously. Something was seriously wrong here. If this Kimblee was involved with the Hunters then they would kill him.

"I'm not going to let Chris take the fall for me," he hissed back.

"You can't –" He broke free of her grasp. Fear gripped her heart as he pushed through the crowd. Kimblee watched him like an animal watching its prey. Chris' eye widened a fraction, before she looked at her nephew disapprovingly.

"What are you doing?" she asked gruffly, clearly unhappy.

Roy didn't answer her. Instead he turned his attention to Kimblee. "What do you want with me?"

The man's hand twitched before reaching for something in his pocket. Riza was already moving as she watched him remove the syringe. His white arm lashed out towards Roy, the needle aiming for his neck. Riza felt her heart jump into her throat. She tried to sound a warning, but nothing came out. But she needn't have worried. Roy shifted and dodged the attack, aiming a punch at Kimblee's left side. The man doubled over. Roy grabbed his head, his own knee rising up to meet it. With a sickening crunch Kimblee was knocked onto the floor. People surrounded Kimblee, a few changing into their wolf forms just to be safe. One sniffed at the needle and nodded to Grumman. Wolfs bane. He had tried to kill Roy. However foolish his actions were to attack a werewolf, he had still tried to do it. Riza wouldn't forget that.

"Get back," Grumman barked and the line stepped backwards instantly. "Get him to the hospital," Grumman barked. "I want four wolves on him at all times, do I make myself clear?" A chorus of "yes, sir" sounded through the group.

Roy approached his aunt, his gaze worriedly checking over her. There were no visible injuries, but that didn't mean Kimblee hadn't been cruel.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"Of course. Though I would rather have not been dragged out of bed at that time in the morning." She was visibly shivering. Riza shrugged her jacket off and offered it to Chris. The woman thanked her, wrapping it around her shoulders. It was leaning towards late spring now, but the air still held a bite to it.

A commotion behind them drew Riza's attention away. A high pitched whine filled the air, causing both Roy and Riza to wince at the volume. Her eyes widened at the sight of Kimblee with his arms around a wolf's midsection. There was a few tell-tale cracks, the sounds of bones breaking. The whining increased in its pitch, leaning closer to a howl. It was so full of agony that Riza cringed in response. Just like that, Kimblee had cracked their ribs. He grinned at her, tossing the wolf aside. The wolf continued to whine feebly on the ground after a hard landing.

The rest of the world faded out as the pair focussed on each other. Despite the others converging on him, Kimble only had eyes for her. She watched his movements and looked at his eyes. They were black. Completely black. Vampire. Then he was gone, buried under the bodies of those fighting against him.

"Get her inside!" she shouted to Roy, sprinting towards the throng.

"Riza!" Roy called her back followed by a curse. But she couldn't turn away. Not while this man was currently moving towards her father and grandfather.

Grumman knocked Berthold out the way and brought his arms out to form an 'X', blocking Kimblee's strike. Pinako's face was one of complete concentration as she waved her hands in the air in three quick, fluid movements. A burst of flame shot from her hands straight towards the two men. Grumman ducked and rolled and unfortunately, so did Kimblee. Wolves descended upon him once more, attempting to pin him to the ground. Just as Riza reached her father, helping him up from the ground, the wolves prevailed. Kimblee struggled against their hold but couldn't get free. Two stood on each limb and one had its paws on his chest, pushing him into the ground, its maw dangerously close as saliva dripped onto his face. His suit was no longer white. It was dusted with pine needles, dirt, and grass streaks. His maniacal grin, however, remained. There was a glint of something in his eye and Riza didn't like the look of it. Triumph. But what for?

"Change of plan," Grumman announced. He approached the vampire on the ground. "Take him to the bunker."

The bunker, Riza had learned, was where dangerous prisoners were taken. It hadn't ever been used, which she supposed was a good thing. It had been an old mine in the mountains but was now reinforced with six feet of concrete. The concrete door had been stress tested by each species in the settlement and it was strong enough to withstand the strength of both vampires and werewolves, and the magic of witches.

"This was just the beginning," Kimblee cackled as he was dragged away. His laughter settled over them, making Riza shiver.

"Beginning of what?" she heard Berthold ask from her side. "Do you know him?"

Riza shook her head. "No. Roy knows who he is though."

The sound of whining tore Riza's attention away from Kimblee being dragged away. Her grandfather was leaning over their head, stroking the fur and whispering quietly to try and calm the beast. With a start, Riza realised the colour of their fur. Golden, like hers. Then she spotted Rebecca by Grumman's side, tears running down her cheeks.

The air was sucked out of her lungs as she staggered across to them.

"Havoc?" she called desperately, falling to her knees opposite Rebecca. The brunette was silent, but her expression stricken. Grumman continued to speak to him quietly as he whined. Pinako was by his ribs, her hands raised over his body but unmoving. Her eyes were closed, a small frown gracing her features in concentration. A blue glow erupted from Havoc's wolf body and he howled once more.

"What happened? What did you do?" Rebecca cried. "Stop it!" Her voice was almost drowned out by the howling.

"Easy," Grumman reassured her. "She needs to concentrate. She has to set the bones. He can't change back and we can't move him because it will only make it worse."

Havoc continued to howl, his legs swatting feebly as he tried to distance himself from Pinako. Riza grabbed one suddenly, holding him still. She remembered how painful it was to move her legs when she had that barb sticking out of her. The movements would only make things worse for Havoc. She stroked his fur, offering comfort in the only way she could.

After a couple of minutes, his movements slowed. Pinako opened her eyes and nodded to Grumman before standing. She hurried off in the direction of the small hospital.

"Havoc?" Grumman called softly. "I need you to change back into your human form so we can move you. It is going to hurt like hell, but it's the only way we can treat you properly before they begin to heal too quickly."

For a few moments, there was nothing. Rebecca watched his body, looking for any sign of understanding. Then, his body rippled and a scream of agony erupted from his mouth. She winced at the sound, the air whooshing out of her lungs as if his pain was hers. Her ribs ached and she doubled over form the sensation. Riza was asking if she as all right, but she couldn't reply. She couldn't breathe.

Once Jean was human, Grumman lifted him in his arms and held him steadily in his jog to catch up with Pinako. Rebecca surged to her feet, following after them both, the sound of Havoc's sobs crushing her chest with every step they took.

Pinako was ready to go as Havoc was laid gently onto a metal table in a surgery room. Rebecca took in the greyness of his skin, the splotchy, purple bruising around his torso, the sweat drenching him. Her chest tightened and once more, she found it difficult to breathe. A hand grasped her tightly and squeezed as they watched through the window. They were only a few metres away as Pinako worked on her soul mate, but Rebecca could have been a thousand miles away. That's what it felt like, as the feeling of helplessness suffocated her. An hour later, Rebecca was still rooted to the spot. Riza had continued to hold her hand tightly as they watched. Neither was willing to move away.

Grumman exited the room first. He wiped his brow with the back of his hand, but he smiled tightly. "He will be all right. Pinako reset all the bones before they could heal in the wrong way." Rebecca flinched at the all too fresh memory of Grumman holding Jean down as he tried to thrash against Pinako's work. Rebecca wanted to run in and rip the witch's throat out, but Riza held her in place firmly. "He will be up and about in a few days." He stepped aside, motioning for Rebecca to enter. "You can go in now."

Without another word, she left Riza and her Grandfather by the window. Thankfully, Pinako was nowhere to be seen. She hadn't seen the old witch slip out of the room. Her eyes were dragged over to Havoc's finally relaxed form.

"I think it is time I had some words with our guest," Grumman all but snarled.

"Why is he even here?"

"That is exactly what I intend to find out."

That was all Rebecca heard of their conversation before it was tuned out. She took in Jean's face. It was slack. His colouring had improved. His skin no longer held a greyish tinge. It looked healthy. Well, as healthy as it could be under the circumstances. Rebecca shuddered as she glanced down at the angry bruising. She kept her eyes averted. His breathing was heavy, as if exhausted from the treatment he had received.

"Jean?" she called quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. She felt tears threaten to fall once more. Everything had happened so fast she had barely had time to register it. Waiting for that hour outside, watching and doing nothing to help him, it had caught up with her. As she approached now, her legs felt heavy, her movements stiff.

One eyelid opened slowly, followed by the other half a second later. His vision swam for a few seconds as it tried to focus, then settled on her face. He half smiled at her. "Hey," he panted. Just hearing his voice broke something within her. Relief flowed through her body as if the flood gates had opened, leasing a tsunami inside of her. She grasped his hand tightly, falling onto her knees by his head. "I'm all right," he croaked. His hand twitched in hers. He began to lift his other arm, but hissed in pain. It fell back onto the table.

"I know, it's just…" Rebecca didn't know what to say. She was just glad he was all right.

His head rolled to look to his left, holding her gaze. She pressed her forehead to his and closed her eyes. Jean followed suit and the pair remained that way until Riza returned some time later. Rebecca didn't care how long it had been.

"What did you mean by "just the beginning"?" Grumman asked Kimblee. The bunker had never been his favourite place. It had always loomed off in the distance, a reminder of the threat that was posed to them. Initially, it was built to hide members of the settlement there, the ones who couldn't defend themselves, should the Hunters ever become bold enough to attack them outright.

Its presence had always cast a shadow over the forest around them, Grumman had thought. It was a reminder that they had to hide from the world in order to survive. He had lived longer than an average human's life span, his wolf's blood ensuring he would live five times as long as a human. But, he had never had the chance to see the world because of them. He loathed the Hunters, and in turn, loathed this stupid bunker. It was a reminder that he would never truly be free. None of them would.

The man before him grinned. His expression was maniacal as he sat on the ground, legs crossed. Both hands were placed on either knee and he sneered at him. He looked confident. Too confident. He was a new vampire, only a couple of weeks. Combine that with the arrogance that had obviously followed him from his human life, he thought he was invincible. He thought he would be able to easily take Grumman down. The old werewolf smirked to himself, amused at the thought, as he waited for Kimblee's reply.

The man scowled, obviously not the reaction he was expecting. He leaned forward in his seat. It was a threat. Pfft.

"How come the Hunters haven't killed you yet, if you are a vampire working with them?" He wouldn't let on that he knew Kimblee was only a fresh vampire. Grumman could smell it on him, along with the stink of the Hunters.

"We struck a deal."

"They are hell bent on eradicating your entire species. What makes you think they are going to honour it?"

Kimblee grinned once more, as if to tell Grumman he knew something the old man didn't. "That is none of your concern," he replied casually.

Unfolding his arms, Grumman nodded. "Fine. I'll leave you to your long life imprisoned in here then." He turned on his heel and walked towards the door. It was a test. The werewolf narrowed his eyes as he heard the quiet shift of fabric. He angled his head to the right as a hand shot past it, embedding itself in the rock of the cave wall. In response, Grumman threw his elbow up to Kimblee's face, battering his nose. He cursed in response, grasping his nose. In a fit of rage, he attacked once more. This time, he aimed for his neck, fangs bared. Grumman sidestepped and the vampire slammed into the rock. "Are you done?" he asked, putting on a bored tone just to irk the man some more.

It worked, because he turned, fangs bared. His eyes were blood red, the tell-tale sign of a vampire ready to fight. There would be a death all right, if this continued, but it wouldn't be Grumman's. But he couldn't kill Kimblee. He obviously came here for a reason. Whether it was to lead the Hunters here or simply for some personal revenge against Mustang, Grumman wanted to know. It would be entertaining to stay here and wind the young vampire up for hours, but he had people to protect. He had had his fun and Kimblee was out of time.

The vampire launched himself one final time, a growl escaping his throat. Instead of dodging, Grumman faced him head on. Blocking his outstretched arm, knocking it away from his face at the forearm, Grumman reached forward himself, his palm covering Kimblee's face. The vampire's eyes widened in surprise. There was a hint of black towards the back of his eyes before it blended in with the blood red colour. He had no pupil or iris, only red. It was the mark of the more vicious vampires. These were the ones who typically fed on human blood. It turned them primal. Those who fed on animal blood, or on blood only when necessary, were the complete opposite. But they were in no way docile. They could be just as vicious if threatened. The young vampire, Hughes, who had arrived with Mustang was a prime example of that.

In a vampire clan with Human Feeding Vampires like Kimlbee, fights were a regular occurrence. They ranged between fights of dominance, over food, over mates, and anything else really. Those kind of vampires were very territorial and very protective of everything. Grumman had heard stories of escapees from those clans. Some of them still remained at the settlement to this day. One vampire had told him how her aunt had killed her mother during an argument about what to have for dinner. Dinner, of all things. The aunt was not punished. It was their way of ridding themselves of the weak and building the strongest clan. Human Feeding Vampire clans were in a constant battle to be the best. It was going to go out of control very soon if they didn't get a lid on it.

But this vampire, Grumman thought to himself as he slammed said vampire's head down onto the ground with all his strength. Is not part of a clan. There is another vampire's scent on him, but no other. A female's. A mate? There was a sickening thud as the contact was made. It was enough to disable and possibly harm him. An older vampire would have no problem recovering from a blow like that. But Kimblee was a new-born. His body was still adjusting. Grumman held him to the floor by only his head, watching as his eyes roll back into his head. No doubt, his head was ringing. Good. That was for Havoc.

"Are you done?" Grumman repeated calmly. No response.

Satisfied their prisoner would not be getting up any time soon, Grumman left him there on the floor. He would return in a couple of hours. Kimblee would be even more frantic then, if he had recovered. Being a new-born his thirst would be almost uncontrollable by then. He would get sloppy and reveal what he came here for. It was a grim thought. The werewolf did not want to resort of pseudo torture to get what he wanted. But, the vampire had come here with the intention to harm his people. And he had succeeded with one of them. Havoc was like a grandson to Grumman. The vampire's actions was not something he would easily forget. If Kimblee wanted to fight dirty, then so would Grumman.

"Keep the doors closed," he instructed the guards. Six werewolves and two vampires were on the other side of the door at the end of the long corridor. They had actively volunteered to go on guard duty. Grumman took in their faces, knowing each of them were fiercely loyal to Havoc, who had trained with them growing up and lead them as their First Captain. Despite the situation, he was happy they were willing to look out for him. "Only I enter, understood?" They all nodded, followed by a "yes sir".

Without looking back, Grumman strode away from the bunker. He shook off the feeling that came with visiting that place. One that continued to cling at him long after leaving its shadow. It was one that warned something was coming. Something big. It told him that their assault on the Hunter's camp may not be necessary next week. His gut clenched, his expression grim.