Ulyena didn't even remember how she had gotten into Damiskinos's place, but she had somehow managed to do so. Her only concern was Scud's well-being. She loved him, but that didn't mean that she wasn't mad. How could he do that to Blade? After the vampire killer was generous enough to save his life, Scud turned his back anyway. One part of her was infuriated, but another wanted to give Scud the benefit of the doubt. Maybe Damiskinos had threatened to kill him if he didn't do it?

She shook the thought from her head. Ulyena didn't want to think about Damiskinos killing someone while she was sneaking around the large halls and corridors of his lair. Where would they be? Maybe her mother was here as well? She mentally kicked herself. She needed to stay focused on the task at hand: finding Scud and Blade. If they were after Blade, she knew that shit was about to get real.

It was almost too silent until the sound of someone yelling caught her attention. It almost sounded like Whistler. She focused her hearing just to make sure.

"Tell me somethin', you lyin' son of a bitch." Yes, that would definitely be Whistler.

Ulyena ran as fast as her legs could allow her before passing a room that caught her attention. A small window on the door revealed a woman in the dark room. A woman that was beaten bloody and chained to the wall. A woman who looked too much like herself to be ignored. "Mom?" She said in a whisper. Johanna Gavlik was lying on the ground. The only part of her body that was moving was her chest. Her hair was a bloody, matted mess, bruises covered her body and she was naked with shackles around one of her ankles.

Ulyena kicked the door open and dropped to her knees. Fifteen years ago, her mother looked youthful, lovely and full of beauty. Now, wrinkles lined her skin that was stretching across her skull. Her full, blonde hair was greying and thin, and bags sat under her swollen and dull eyes. Tears welled up in Ulyena's eyes, but she forced herself to hold them back.

"M-mom? It's me, Ulyena. Remember?" Her voice cracked.

Johanna lifted her head slightly and Ulyena could tell that she was in pain. "Yena?" Her voice was dry and gritty, as if she hadn't spoken for a long time. "My baby girl?"

"Yeah, mama. It's me." A tear rolled down her cheek, but she didn't bother to wipe it away. She was mentally formulating a plan on getting her mother out of there. All of the sudden, she had an idea. She'd find a guard, get the keys and unlock the shackles. "I'll be back, mama. I'm going to get you out of here. Promise." She poked her head out of the door and, her luck, there was a guard walking in her direction. She put on her most innocent face and approached him. "Excuse me sir? I need your help with something, could you come here?"

A smirk appeared on his face as he walked towards her. She parted her lips seductively and she fisted his jacket in her hands before yanking him into the small room. She threw him against the wall and said in a low, menacing voice, "I want to get her out of here, and I want your help." Her fangs slid out of her gums and the guard jumped.

"I-I can't!" He said hurriedly.

She then got up in his face. "And just why the fuck not?" She growled.

His eyes were filled with fear as he shook in her grip. "Because only Damiskinos has the keys. I swear."

A new rage filled her as she suddenly bit into him, only drinking a small amount before she went and ripped the chain out of the wall. Chunks of concrete flew in all directions, but she was careful not to hurt her mother. She picked her up gently and was about to walk away when a shotgun rang a shot from down the hall. She heard Blade yell, and then nothing. "Hey, you." She addressed the guard. "Get up." He looked a bit exhausted, but he did as he was told. "Take her to the old, abandoned warehouse about five miles north of here. And I swear," She lowered her voice. "If I find out that you don't stay with her until I get there, or if you don't take her at all, I'll make Damiskinos seem like a fucking peach. You got that?" She gently laid her mother in his arms and kissed her forehead before running down towards to where she heard the shot come from. She came to a large door with no windows, but she could hear familiar voices coming from inside.

"You thought you had me on a leash, didn't you Blade?" Reinhardt's voice said.

"You may be strong and fast," Ulyena recognized Scud's voice. "But in the end B, you're just too human." She heard a fist connect with flesh and Whistler grunted.

"Well, you little son of a bitch." Whistler said, and then grunted again when he was hit.

"Why?" Blade asked.

"Why?" Scud repeated. "You heard que ball. Pretty soon, they're all going to be Daywalkers, and when that happens, I'd rather be a pet than cattle. You got me?" He paused. "So, what do you think of that?"

"Well," Blade said. "Two things. One: I've been onto you since they turned you."

"Shit." Ulyena said. So Blade did know about Scud. Ulyena realized that it couldn't be good as of right now, and then she burst into the room. "Scud!"

"And two," Blade continued. "It's not a dud."

"No!" Ulyena started running towards him, but it was too late. The last thing she saw of her lover was him looking at her with love and regret and then she watched as he exploded into tiny chunks and fragments of charred human flesh.

Oh lord, guys! I'm sorry! It had to be done, though! There's just one more chapter left!