Assassination of Memories
Chapter XVII- Neo Means New To This Life

Neo's POV

She was the toughest person I've met in my 100 plus years so hearing Shadows' non-stop crying echo in through my brain from upstairs filled my soul (if I had one) with dread. Max and Fang, munching from a tray of crackers, were trying to squeeze answers from Jared. Many of them he couldn't or wouldn't answer as most concerned Shadows. I was starting to break down inside from Shadows' sobs above my head, it was hard to keep the bored composure on my face. I grabbed Hunter's arm when he was free dragging the Lycan to the kitchen wrinkling my nose at the disgusting smell of unwashed dog. 'He smells like he swam in perfume.' Hunter disgustedly though his own nose crinkling at my smell. "You smell too." I pointed out Hunter recoiled in suspicion. I sighed letting go of his arm, the Lycan looked down at me. One downside in being transformed into a vampire at age six, you don't grow past your height. I was much, much older than this boy and he was looking way down at me still. "What happened when you got up there?" I said jerking my head in the direction of Shadows' room. "What?" "Don't play dumbass I can hear her from down here." I growled listening as Shadows shuffled on her bed continuing to cry.

"I don't know she was like that when I came up. She stopped soon after and said she was fine so I left. It wasn't until you pulled me in here I noticed." Hunter shot back looking grim. 'What could make Shadows so upset? Is it Angel, or something else?' Hunter's thoughts whirled around my head in a frenzy; I rubbed my closed eyes with an irritated sigh. I tried to block him out just a little to no prevail. Lycans were odd that way, either I couldn't read their minds or I couldn't shut them out. "Amberlynn's been through a lot," I said sorting through Hunter's thoughts aware that Max was eavesdropping, "it could be a lot of things. By the way when are you supposed to be leaving?" I asked Hunter. I wasn't getting much off of him; he didn't even know about Shadows what I secretly knew. "Um the nineteenth I think, why?" Hunter's voice dripped in accusation. 'What is this leech getting at?' I stared at Hunter trying to tell him with looks.

He wasn't getting it. 'He wanted me gone that for sure but why he brought that up now was beyond me. All I know is this probably had something to do with Shadows.' "Try to understand that you have to leave in quiet awhile and Amberlynn is breaking down. Once you're gone we have to deal with her, she will most likely won't be able to hand it when you're gone." I said Hunter made a face confused by my words. 'I have only known Shadows for three days why would she breakdown once I'm gone? I tried to reason out why this was happening now.' I sighed trying to explain this is a way Hunter would understand. "Okay here's the thing, Amberlynn says she doesn't become close to anyone but she's lying to herself. She's became attach to Dune even the way she treats him; she's attached to all of us and even you. She saves Dune's butt constantly, Amberlynn's going to start saving yours real soon." I told him making Hunter look away. "What does that have anything to do with this?" He asked not looking at me. Shadows' sobs had lessened now to shuttering breaths upstairs, once she was done I knew very well she would change to get rid of any evidence she had been crying. "If you leave as she continues to breakdown, in all probability Amber will snap." I concluded hoping to any damn gods out there this stupid mutt would understand me. "Hunter... Hey, Hunter!" I snapped my fingers in front of his face making him blink. "Wha...? Sorry what was that?" He stuttered his eyes gazing into my own. "Stay until the latest date possible." I repeated.

"...why...?"

I blinked sorting through his thoughts. "What were we just... talking about?" Hunter asked. He didn't remember I couldn't find anything other than up to the part that I asked him when he was leaving. You see when Lycans lose bits of their memory, that's a bit of a problem. It means their losing their human side. You see when a Lycan loses their human side one of two things happen; they become very smart docile wolves...

Or they become rampaging killers.

Memory loss around their Moons are okay since they lose most of their memory when they are forced to transform, however if they lose enough memory they're human side disappears. Hunter seemed to notice this also since he was shaking now, his thoughts whirling to horror. "How old is your dog?" I asked him knowing he would understand. "Ah... only around a month." His voice was shaking and his knees were practically knocking together. "This might be stupid right now though go back to Cain. You don't have to but you should." I told him. Nodding Hunter went past me, his footsteps heavier than usual. "That's the only thing I can sympathize with you Hunter." I said. Hunter had stopped with the door open, his shuddering breath directed at the back of my head. "Same here Neo." He said closing the door taking off towards Cain's territory.

'You shouldn't have let him go.'

I know but I'm the one that's trying to be different aren't I? I thought. Trying to prove everyone wrong that a vampire can get along with a werewolf? You know I always tried to prove everyone wrong even back then.

'Yes and look where that has gotten you.'

I was bitten on accident, sure I was trying to prove that vampires existed but I wasn't supposed to be bitten. I thought walking to the living room. Shadows' was in her bathroom the water in the sink going, the water splashed against her face to hide she was crying.

'Of course it wasn't supposed to be your brother.'

I stopped in the door way my jaw setting. I wouldn't be like this, if it hadn't been Jonathan, my older brother, who I ran into that night around the time the Great Plague was declining. It had been so long ago that it sounded that Jonathan lived in this year, it sounded like I did too.

That night was dark, even against mother's lecture I had gone outside. The stench of rats, decaying flesh and grime filled the air, rats scampered along the cobblestone, and I jumped out of the way of the disgusting looking creatures with greasy fur and bright red eyes. Red crosses dotted the doors of houses, I stayed away from those houses. If I got too close I would be infected too, then I'd have to be locked in my house infecting everyone else. I followed closely after the dark figure disappearing into the darkness hoping he wouldn't know I was there.

At times I thought I had lost him until I saw his cloak fluttering around a corner. Soon I was lost in the labyrinth of back streets, my head swivelling back and forth trying to find the figure. "Hello little brother." I jumped spinning around to find him right behind me. Jonathan was quite hansom, well I heard ladies saying he was beautiful but that is what men called women. His black hair tied back into a pony tail was done up in a haste, his perfect snake green eyes were cold despite the smile on his white face. My brother was a tall, lean figure underneath his cloak, his eyes flicked away from my face. I stepped back; his smile was wider than usual, showing two fangs among the teeth. When he said he thought he knew someone was a vampire I wouldn't think he was a vampire. And how was that possible!? My head was spinning; I fell when I tried to step back again. No, this wasn't good but he couldn't... he wouldn't...

Jonathan knelt down in front of me still smiling painfully. "Little brother mother has gotten the sickness. I don't want you to be condemned to death in that house." Jonathan said moving closer. No, no... Get away from me. I wanted to run but I was rooted in place as my brother overshadowed me coming closer to my neck. "Do not fight against it; it hurts if you do that little brother." Jonathan whispered in my ear sinking his teeth into my neck. My back arced Jonathan put a cold hand over my mouth to stifle my scream. Pain flooded my body burning in my neck, Jonathan's other hand was holding my up towards him. My vision blurred while my head spun, I don't know when but my eyes fluttered open.

Jonathan was standing over me, blood running down the corner of his mouth. "Get up little brother." He told me softly. I couldn't stand, I felt too weak to do so. "Stand little brother." Jonathan repeated gently taking my hand. I stood slumping against my ice cold brother. He took me by the shoulders kneeling down to look me in the eyes. "How do you feel?" he asked. My eyelids were heavy a thick metallic smell filled my nose. "Sleepy and weak." I muttered. Jonathan brought his finger up to his mouth biting on one of his long fingers. The smell filled my nose, a sweet smell I suddenly craved. I didn't wait for him to move, I clamped my mouth onto his finger where silver welled up at the wound sucking on it. My mind whirled; my own teeth sank into Jonathan's finger as I continued to take the wonderful tasting silver stuff. Jonathan smiled proudly ruffling my hair pulling his finger away. I tried to take it back but I saw no need, there was no more of the silver stuff there. "How did that taste?" he asked a hand on my shoulder. "Good." I said truthfully. I didn't feel weak or dizzy anymore though I needed a drink as my throat was dry. "Do you want more? This time it will be better." I vigorously nodded following after Jonathan. My brother had been so fast before, I could never keep up until now as I fell into step beside Jonathan beaming at him. As we walked in silence I began to hear things, grasping onto what I figured out was Jonathan's thoughts. He was relieved that everything was over and it had gone so well. But Jonathan was disgusted with himself at the same time, and then he noticed something probing his mind. I pulled back asking if I had done something wrong. Jonathan's smile didn't reach his eyes when he said that I didn't do anything wrong. He was upset somehow, he wasn't happy with me for some reason. I stopped turning on my heel pushing Jonathan's thoughts away. A broad man was walking down the street his back turned to us. I could hear a swish-swishsound coming from him that made my mouth water, the fast beating off his heart made me feel like an energized puppy. I shot off with newfound speed bringing the man down as I collided into him, sinking my teeth into his neck where the mouth watering swishing was the loudest. The man struggled for a moment before he became limp underneath me; I thought two things when the thick sweet metallic fluid flowed into my mouth.

This is wrong.

I want more.

Suddenly Jonathan's arms wrapped around my waist, I wailed in protest as he heaved me off the man. "You are going to kill him if you keep feeding little brother." Jonathan said fiercely. His words struck me hard. ...Kill...Feeding...? What was he talking about? Until my head spun as I looked down at the man I didn't understand. The man was bleeding from two wounds at his neck. No, I couldn't— I wasn't just drinking that man's blood. I was horrified; Jonathan noticed feeling sick with himself as he put me down away from the man. I was trembling uncontrollably as Jonathan knelt down beside the man placing a hand on the man's temple. He looked at me sadly sorry for doing this to me. Once he had finished whatever it was he came over putting his hand on my shaking shoulder. Tears burned in my eyes as Jonathan's mind touched mine trying to calm me down. He pulled me into a protective hug whispering a language I understood in my ear. He had turned me into a vampire...WHY! "I'm sorry brother I could not see you die in that house along with everyone else." Jonathan said in my ear in English this time. I was still shaking like a leaf on a windy day making my older brother tremble. "You're going to have to get used to it little brother that is how we live now." He pushed me away a little looking me in the eyes. "Can you handle that?"

I sealed my mouth shut blinking the tears back nodding solemnly. I could handle it; I could live with it as long as I could live. Jonathan touched my neck looking at his hand. The tips of his fingers were silver like the blood that had come from him. "There is no turning back now Ash we are Silver Brothers now."

That was years before my brother was killed by a vampire hunter somewhere around the time that Bush became President. That same vampire hunter shipped me with him to Africa where Jared found me. If he hadn't I would be dead now. Jonathan didn't like feeding off of humans yet he never thought to feed off of animals. That would be the only reason why I don't go against Jared's rule of no feeding on humans; Jonathan was sickened by the notion of doing that even though he had to. So I got by with animals, for now. Silver Brothers was a term for a vampire to change his human brother into a vampire so we both had each other's blood. I still had Jonathan's blood in me so I tried my best for Jared not to look at it under a microscope. "What's wrong with you?" Bronze asked. "Nothing, just... remembering something." I said Max's eyebrow rose in suspicion. "So Max," She looked back to Jared, "Where did you say you lived before again?" Jared asked. I guess I was a little focused on Hunter and old memories that I missed some part of the conversation.

"I think it was close to Blaine, I can't remember very well." Max said. She was lying; I saw the little flaw in her fib. She had looked up to the left (from my view point), a sign of constructing something in your mind. So she was constructing what the house in Blaine looked like to herself. Then she looked down to the right showing she was mentally talking to herself. Even with the heavy block over her mind I could practically see 'Well done Max' written on her forehead. Jared caught it too since, it's almost impossible to lie to a Pretender; he had too much police experience. "Really..." she looked at Jared at the sound of doubt in his voice. Speaking to Jared wasn't the best when he was telling a lie if you know what you're looking for, Max seemed to know that he had doubted her lie. Shadows was coming down the stairs now, I turned to her with a smug smile. I opened my mouth to say a snide remark when under her glasses Shadows' eyes snapped to Fang's face.

And all hell broke loose like the dam for Lake Mead crumbled.