Bloodlust

Night fell quietly over the colony, bathing all in her chill shadow. The day died slowly that night, her soldiers strolled casually off to their homes, fell lightly to their beds and did not notice night's children rise. They crept up from unseen hollows and stole silently into the streets. It was a sacred time to them, the time of the hunter's moon and even so far from the lunar influence they felt her pull. All the denizens of the dark rose that night, went teeming through the streets. The air held an acrid quality to it and even the sleeping day-walkers sensed it though only in their dreams. Those from the light that did dare venture out tonight would see more than ever they had wished, ever they would again. The high dignitaries gathered at the Necropolis. The Kindred would discourse their yearly politics, welcome their new members and pass judgement on those who had done them wrong, as their secret society had done for millennia before.

A lone figure watched their arrival from the rise above, looking down to the myriad of cars and carriages, even a Mobile Suit or two showed up for the Assemblage. He watched, his tall thin frame silhouetted against the night sky. The clans gathered as chaos ran through the streets, as it did every night, only this time his eyes were open to the shaded mysteries, and he watched them all.

Drae had left at sunset, I don't know where he went and left me with the Brujah guard. Smith was his name, he was big and brutish and dumb. I was easily able to slip out into the shadows and away from him. I only hoped no one could sneak in so easily and for a moment I feared for Relena's safety but that was replaced with fury as I neared the hilltop where the delegations would be. It wasn't an easy task finding it. I had to probe Drae for hours before he finally slipped in casual conversation the basic location of the place, the Necropolis. He never even realized what he'd done. It was better that way. I walked slowly in the heavy shadows, I felt as if I were being watched every step of the way but saw no one, no eyes peering out of the wooded depths as I looked down on the large hall.

"Quatre.." a soft voice whispered behind me, a familiar pitch in a foreign tone. I turned.

"Dorothy?" She smiled with crimson lips from under flaxen bangs. She looked different. Older without aging a day, paler too.

"What are you doing here?" her voice was distant like a dream. I didn't answer her. "I'm here to watch the night... is that why you're here too? To watch the dark things in the moon?" I'd never heard her sound quite like that before, it was strange, subdued and oddly seductive.

"What I've come for is of no concern to you." I must have sounded harsh; she startled and looked at me awhile.

"You are changed... but is it for the better?"

"Leave me alone, you don't want to see what will come of this night." I snapped.

"Is that anger in your eyes Quatre?" She smiled a hollow smile. "Has the desert prince finally found a taste for blood?" I suddenly looked at her again. She had changed, something about her was... not right. I didn't know what it was but something in her voice and eyes reminded me, of the Camarilla. I was suddenly very afraid as she laughed.

"Maybe not. But I must warn you Quatre, if you go there tonight you can never come back, not unchanged." she giggled and tread lightly down the hill disappearing into the crowd around the shaded hall below. I watched her move gracefully through the throng of people, quite an assorted bunch until she stopped beside a tall young man, Drae. He lead her in and they all disappeared into the building within the hour. I stood outside watching from the hill.

Relena was under heavy guard at her lavish suite in the grand hotel. The Camarilla stalked about at every door, every window, watching, waiting for something when it came. It stole through the window unseen as the guards rushed to the door. It crept over the deep carpet down the hall as they drew their guns, it pushed the door as they chased Death, it stepped boldly from the shadow as they met the wide grin in the woods. Relena woke as it bent down over her, cold breath on her cheek.

"Heero!" she cried throwing her arms around him she pulled him close, "I thought you were dead," she began to sob on his shoulder. He watched her calmly, returned her embrace as he had done for Shinigami. He stroked her wheat blonde hair as she cried.

"You're cold." she whispered pulling back to see his face. A smile. A strange and menacing smile spread over his lips, murderous with a hint of sick remorse. She backed away, she'd never seen such a smile, not even on those lips. "Heero?" she breathed as the smile widened to a wickedly familiar grin. "Heero!" she screamed as he caught her by that long hair, pulled her to him and kissing her harshly pinned her against the wall. She tried to scream, she tried to fight him off but she couldn't, all she did was cry. It was not Heero, not her Heero, it couldn't be, not this monster. Her mind reeled as her took her. When it was over she lay crumpled against the bed, a slender silhouette stood in the doorway, watching as he crouched near her, cobalt eyes burning into her soul.

"We should go, finish her now before the guards come back." the silhouette called from the door, long hair tossed from the movement as he turned to leave, the hair was all she could see, but that's all she needed to know.

"Damn you Duo, what have you done to him?!" she screamed leaping at the boy. Heero caught her in strong arms and she flailed in his grasp then fell to crying again. Duo laughed as he stalked up to the girl.

"Hm... what did I do? What did I do? Nothing you weren't doing yourself, only I went all the way, I didn't stop at the edge, my dear sweet girl, no... I pushed him over into the Abyss! I drove him Mad. Hahahaha... You would have done it eventually, consider it a favor." he laughed and turned away. She growled and in an unexpected burst of defiant strength managed to get loose from Heero's grasp. She crashed into the dresser near the door and both boys laughed at her.

"Finish her." Duo ordered and Heero smiled again. She backed from those burning blue eyes, caught the shine in Duo's violet and taking the scissors from the open drawer lunged at the grinning boy. She slipped past Heero, but he caught her, still she had enough reach to grab a handful of that long chestnut hair. As Heero pulled her back so too did Duo fall. She planted first the scissors in Heero's hand, then lifting the blooded blade she chopped at the hair. Heero recoiled from the pain as Duo fell forward when Relena's hold was cut. Duo landed on his hands, the familiar strands didn't fall over his shoulders, to his face. His eyes widened as he lifted his hand, felt for the missing locks. Heero roughly pulled the girl up in an iron grip he held her by the throat, clutching tighter, she was dying.

"No!" Duo hissed to the other boy holding the girl high as she lost breath, the world was going black. "Don't kill her just yet." Shinigami growled and Heero set the girl down, holding her tighter this time. "There are worse fates than death." Duo smiled malevolently to her, his hair hung loosely over his shoulders, cut about the jaw.

"Mr. Chang." a slender young man nodded to Wufei who was scowling out the window from his hospital bed. The Chinese had been laid up far too long and he was getting restless as well as worried and more than eager to exact some justice for the crimes that had been wrought against himself and his friends. Wufei barely even noticed as the man sat down across the bed next to Sally Po. The Preventers had been looking for the criminals for two weeks now and they felt Wufei would be their key witness. Therefor they had sent Sally Po herself to take his testimony. Little did they know he could tell them nothing to help with their search beyond what they would surly label as trauma induced delusions.

"I'm sorry we came so late but this is the only time we could get away... Wufei...? Wufei, are you listening to me?" Sally called back the boy's attention. Wufei scowled at her and cast a surveying glance to the man at her side. He was thin, of average height, with pale eyes and light skin, blood red hair. The man smiled a shallow little smile that did not reach his eyes. Wufei shivered... he'd seen a smile like that before.

"Wufei, this is Mr. Alexander, he'll be heading the investigation." Sally introduced the man as he extended his hand.

"Call me Lee." the man spoke in a soft voice but there was a strange undertone to it that sent chills down Wufei's spine. The young pilot took his hand slowly, cautiously. It was cold but he had a strong grip and firm shake. Sally smiled and stood to look out the window.

"Now, Wufei, I'm going to be very frank with you. I think there is someone, or something, after the five of you. They already have three, you and Quatre are all that is left and I fear Relena will be next." she paused to let it all sink in. Wufei closed his eyes to the visions surging to his mind.

"I know." he said in a small voice pushing back the tears.

"You know? But they said you were asleep when they took the last one." Lee's voice was not right and Wufei didn't like the way he could so casually talk of the death of one of his best and most trusted- only friends.

"His name was Trowa." Wufei growled, " And they didn't Take him anywhere, they Killed him."

"Who?" it was only one word but enough to bring tears of rage back to the Chinese boy's eyes. Wufei thought he saw Lee smile through the tears.

"It's alright Wufei, but you have to tell us who so we can stop them next time." Sally put a comforting hand on his shoulder and gave him a tissue. Wufei growled at the onna and pushed her away.

"You can't stop them! No one can." Wufei shouted sitting up straight in the bed regardless of the pain. "They're not human, you didn't see what they did... to Trowa." Wufei choked on the words and the memory.

"Who?" Lee asked again, relentlessly. Wufei glared at him, scowled at the smug grin he hid under the professional exterior, visible only in his eyes, ice blue and empty but for that sadistic smile. Wufei looked to Sally, watched her expectant frown, guessed what she would do when she heard his answer. She'd have him put away in some mental institution... then he looked at Lee. Something told him that one already knew, he already knew the answer and was just waiting for Wufei to say it out loud.

"Maxwell... and Yuy." Wufei whispered not wanting to say it too loud for fear it would call them back, give his new demons reason to rise from his dreams and invade his waking hours now.

"What?" Sally stepped back not sure how to take this, "You must be mistaken, it can't be."

"It is!" Wufei growled, "Dammit Onna, do you think I would make up something like that?"

"No, you wouldn't," Sally resigned, stepping back to gaze out the window at the moonlight in the trees. She turned back after a few minutes silence, "Perhaps it was only someone posing as them, to scare you, or frame them."

"No, it was them." Wufei shook his head then his voice dropped to a trembling whisper, "Only they could have known how to... known just what would... Only they could have known..." Wufei almost whined as he pulled his legs up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, suddenly very cold. The two investigators watched, one with obvious concern the other barely hidden amusement, as the memories flooded his mind, more like a terrible nightmare than a memory.

He could still hear the tall boy's screams as they took him, drove deep into him calling back whatever demons Quatre had worked so hard the past four years to banish, all brought back in a single vicious act. He could still see the violet eyes that trapped him in his own hell as he was forced to watch them paint the walls with his friend's blood. He could still smell it heavy in the still air. He knew the pain would never go away, the guilt of having failed to protect one he loved, again. Only they could know just how to get to them, only They could bring their own hells so close, so real, so easily.

Sally shook her head. "I'm sorry we bothered you." She laid a hand on Wufei's trembling shoulder as her voice dropped to a husky whisper, "We'll find them, and then you can have your justice." Sable eyes shot up at her filled with tears fulled by sorrow and hate. Sally shook her head again and sighed as Lee opened the door for her.

"Thank you for your time." Lee nodded curtly and they were gone. Wufei was all alone, again.

"I'm afraid we won't be able to use much of his testimony, Lee." Sally sighed as they walked slowly down the dark halls. "I'm sorry we wasted your time."

"You're sorry you made him remember those things, not for wasting my time." Lee smiled knowingly to the woman. "And as for the testimony, I don't think it was as much a waste as you assume." Sally glanced questioningly back at him and was about to ask what he meant by that when a young officer came running breathlessly up to them.

"Ms. Po, Mr. Alexander?" he panted, "There's been... an incident at the Peacecraft mansion."

Quatre watched as the Necropolis filled. He recognized many of the people going in as prominent politicians, businessmen, and criminals world renowned. Quite a mix of people gathered there that day, to no good end Quatre was sure. He laid in the grassy hillock inspecting first the crowd then when that disappeared in doors he watched the guards, cars and Mobil Suits that surrounded the meeting hall. The night drug on and Quatre wondered what could possibly be going on in there...

"The masquerade is a scared tradition and these, these Renegades are coming dangerously close to breaking it! They must be stopped before we are all in grave danger." a large man stood before Prince on his throne and the Sabbat Chief in his seat of power. The two clans had gathered that year not to discuss the Renegade threat but the topic had inevitably come up and neither head could stop the ensuing argument. The truth was there was very little that could be done about it outside of a true jihad. And holy wars were always so messy.

Rumors of an entire clan of Renegade kindred had spread now and from the seed of a few isolated crimes the legends were born of a new enemy to the masquerade, an enemy from within. Neither head like it. They would just as well keep the hunt to themselves in their high houses to hunt the fools down themselves and exact punishment their own ways but the masses had other ideas. Even as kindred many of them had retained the very human trait of paranoia when threatened by the unknown... and these renegades were the unknown. No one knew where they had come from, who they were, why they were hunting such public figures as the mortal's heros, the Gundam pilots. Nor did they know what these renegades would do next and many feared an assault on the Queen. They knew there was no better way to bring about a second inquisition than to attack the mortal's Queen, and they feared the possibility.

"I'm afraid Master Conrad, we are doing all we can." The Prince sighed to the large man before him as the Sabbat Chief boiled in rage, it wasn't often his powers were so questioned.

"And what would that be?" the man asked tersly.

"What? How dare you question-" The Sabbat Chief broke out violently leaping to his feet inspecting the crowd, he'd had quite enough of this. Conrad steped back from the Sabbat's rage as the elder Vampire lifted his fist.

"I will have no more! I tire of your insolence you-" The Chief's curse was cut off by a ripping laughter. All eyes searched for the sound as the Chief's face turned a surprising color of red, given the circumstances.

"Who Is That!?" the Chief growled stalking from his seat to the edge of the dias. The laughter continued to peel through the hall, a frightening and manic glee. The crowd split and a clear path spread before the Sabbat Chief straight to the door and there standing at the large oaken panels was a boy, a simple young boy laughing insanely. The Sabbat Chief boiled as the boy stepped forth. The Chief then noticed the boy held a long rope in his hand and as the crowd fell away it left the boy in the center of the court, the boy with a young girl in tow. The girl was small and frightened, her wheat blonde hair had been cut just above the jaw and hung raggedly about her face, just like the boy's. She was tethered to his hand by a long braided rope, a long, silky, chestnut rope crudely braided and tied to a similar rope of wheat blonde around her neck. The Sabbat guards began to circle the boy joined by Camarilla officers.

The Chief appraised the boy, turned to his guards and smiling said, "Kill them."

The boy stood smiling as the girl cowered and tried to scream through a gag of blonde hair. The Prince scowled at his Sabbat brother and stood to stop this madness but Drae stopped him, the Prince's head ghoul held him back and they stood watching a wide grin play across the boy's features.

"This should be fun." one Sabbat laughed, leveling a gun on the boy. The others soon joined and stopped only at the sound of that same piercing howl of laughter that had announced this boy. He stood trapped and loving it.

"What you laughing at?" one of the closer guards spat and jabbed him with his gun.

"You." the boy leveled his violet eyes on the man and never even dropping the rope brought his fist up to break his jaw, then up some more to break his neck and take off his head. The girl screamed and cowered away pulling on the rope but the boy just gave her leash a firm tug and she fell to the ground sobbing. The boy was given wide breadth as he strode to the foot of the dias dragging her behind. The Clan leader's guards swarmed around the small stage gripping their arms and watching the boy intently. The Chief gawked at the loss of one of his men then seethed at the boy's insolence.

"You must be the Prince." the boy smiled to the tall man in fine garb upon an ornate throne. The Prince nodded.

"And you are?" he stood politely addressing the boy with every courtesy he could. The boy smiled and his eyes filled with an unholy light.

"I Am Death." he announced slowly, proudly and very serious.

"That wouldn't be... Relena Darlain Peacecraft?" The Prince asked nodding to the girl. Death smiled wider.

"The honorable and luscious Queen of the mortal world." Death pulled the girl in closer and she screamed trying to push him off.

"Is that any way to treat a Queen?" The Sabbat Chief glared down at the boy.

"Ah, she's not My queen, nor is she yours I suspect, what should we care for the mortal world?" Death shrugged pushing the girl to the ground.

"But we need them, as a wolf needs the sheep, we need the mortals." The Prince stated calmly. Death laughed.

"You've not tasted the wine of kindred blood." The boy smiled, the crowd gasped.

"Diablerie..." The Prince whispered under his breath taking a step back.

"We don't do that." the Sabbat stepped forward as the guards pushed in, weapons raised.

"You may not but then I'm sure many others will," the boy smiled glaring at the guards, "In a world of predators- you're either predator or prey." he growled staring down the barrel of a gun. The crowd broke out into hushed whispers, most of the assembly looked worried but some of them smugly pleased.

"Kill him!" the Sabbat Chief growled and with that the guards let loose a volley of fire that would have killed even a powerful Kindred.

"I can't do this alone." Quatre whispered in a moment of insight, "I need help if I'm to stop this madness... I need the others, but they..." Quatre choked on the thought then picked up his radio and shouted into the mic, "Sally!?"

Shin Kidousenki Gundam Wing © Sunrise, Bandai, and Sotsu Agency.