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Hungary: Division Base
As Lucian and his companions soared back towards their base, a different kind of gathering was just beginning in the secret location in Hungary.
The meeting of various supernatural organizations was in full swing, a cacophony of whispers and murmured conversations filling the air. New arrivals continued to trickle in, each one adding another layer to the already complex tapestry of the gathering.
It was a scene of both unity and division, a reminder that even in the face of a common enemy, there were still those who were more comfortable with their own shadows.
Henry Carver and Victor sat at the head of an oval table, observing the motley crew gathered around them.
Conversations buzzed, some friendly, some fraught with the weight of long-held grudges. A few individuals sat stoic, observing the scene with detached eyes, their silence as heavy as the unspoken threats lurking beneath the surface.
One such figure was Scarlett, a newcomer representing the Joe's and General Hawk in this meeting. She was gathering information, her eyes constantly darting around the room, observing every twitch of a muscle, every inflection in their voices. She wasn't here just to observe, she was here to learn, to assess, to strategize.
"You're new, and young, so this time I'll give you some advice," a woman seated beside Scarlett said, her voice a soothing murmur. "You should stop doing what you're doing, you know. Some of these guys aren't easy to talk to," she said, nodding towards a woman seated across the table, who had just opened her eyes and was now staring at Scarlett with a cold intensity.
"Excuse me, my apologies. I didn't get your name," Scarlett responded, turning to face the woman, a friendly smile playing on her lips. She wasn't fazed by the advice. She knew she was an outsider, and she wasn't afraid to appear vulnerable. A friendly smile could disarm and, perhaps, offer a window into her opponent's mind.
"Marie. Marie Kessler," Marie said, her gaze never leaving Scarlett, her focus narrowed on the smile that danced on Scarlett's lips.
"Now I know why I find you irritating," she stated, her voice tinged with a subtle disdain. However, Marie's eyes weren't solely on Scarlett.
They darted to the woman with the white-haired vampire bodyguard, her focus settling on the companion. 'Vampire with white hair. I've never heard of that,' she thought before her eyes snapped back to Scarlett, dodging the white-haired woman's gaze as it landed on her.
"Oh, and why is that?" Scarlett asked, her smile unwavering, a hint of challenge in her voice.
"You guys keep showing something fake, fake smiles, fake emotions, fake personas. It makes me want to punch you guys in the face," Marie said, her eyes scanning Scarlett from head to toe, a sneer twisting her lips.
Scarlett's smile twitched slightly. 'This old woman is tough,' she thought. But she wouldn't back down. "That's part of the job," she retorted, her voice gaining confidence.
"And what's yours, or do you even have one?"
Marie raised an eyebrow, a flicker of interest in her eyes. 'Looks like Hawk found someone good leading the Joe's,' she thought, realizing she had been testing Scarlett's mettle. She understood that in this world, you had to be tough to gain respect, to earn your place at the table.
"Oh honey, I'm a Grimm. I'm one of those who hunt the things that scare you at night," Marie said, her voice dripping with a sardonic amusement as she pointed out Scarlett's youth and inexperience.
Scarlett's eyes widened slightly, a sign of surprise, as she acknowledged the rarity of Grimms in the awakened human population. But she quickly recovered, her smirk returning. "A Grimm, but it looks like you haven't joined any organization here. That means you work alone."
Marie nodded, a sense of pride infusing her voice, tinged with a hint of arrogance.
"I only work alone. Let me tell you, don't even try to convince me to join the Joe's. Hawk already tried," Marie said, her voice laced with a defiant note. She had left the Grimms, choosing a solitary path, a hunter without a cause, without an allegiance and more importantly a hunter with a code and morality.
"I don't plan on doing that," Scarlett said, her voice calm, her eyes shifting away from Marie, drawn to the white-haired woman, her curiosity piqued. "But I heard some hunters are making trouble, creating fake identities to accomplish their hunts, posing as FBI, Homeland Security… that's a lot of fake things, wouldn't you say?" Scarlett smirked, her gaze back on Marie.
Marie's lips twitched. She couldn't argue, as she was one of those who often used fake FBI IDs. They were easy to acquire and useful for observing crime scenes and locating targets.
"She got you there, didn't she Marie?" A gruff voice interrupted the tense exchange, drawing everyone's attention. An old man with a wolf-headed cane ambled toward them, settling into the seat beside Marie. He removed his hat, placing it on the table.
"Old man, what are you even doing here?!" Marie exclaimed, shock evident in her voice. She knew the old man's obsessive nature, especially when it came to vampires.
Her eyes widened with worry, a familiar dread creeping into her heart.
"And this is?" Scarlett asked, her curiosity piqued by Marie's sharp reaction. She assumed the old man was a Grimm, given his presence in this meeting and being Marie's Acquaintance.
"Abraham Setrakian. You can just call me Abraham," the old man said, his gaze meeting Scarlett's. He gave a nod of approval, a fleeting moment of acknowledgement before his attention shifted to Marie.
"What else? I heard there's a new type of elder, one of them, just like him," Abraham said, his voice turning sharp, venomous, as he pointed toward the woman with the white-haired vampire bodyguard, Amelia.
Amelia met Abraham's gaze, her expression resolute.
"No, Marcus isn't like the Master," she said slowly, her voice firm, hoping her words would penetrate his hardened skepticism, knowing the old man's obsession against the master.
"We'll see," Abraham muttered, his skepticism undeterred, as he couldn't believe any words coming from bloodsuckers, He turned away from Amelia, addressing Marie again.
"I said the old man shouldn't retire. How old are you anyway? You're just a power-awakened human, not an immortal," Marie said, attempting to shift Abraham's attention away from Amelia, knowing his deep-seated prejudice against vampires, rooted in a long and painful past.
'Power-type awakened humans. Someone who has a strong physique. Got it,' Scarlett mused, her eyes scanning the room, observing the dynamics, but keeping her ears attuned to the conversation.
"I'm ninety-three years old this year, but I will not rest until I kill him myself," Abraham declared, his voice rising with a fervor that made everyone in the room shift uncomfortably.
"I will make him feel the pain like he hadn't before. I will make him beg me to kill him. The last thing he'll ever see is his own blade!" Abraham spoke with a frenzied excitement, drawing his sword from the wolf-headed cane, the weapon of the so-called Master, the one he sought to bring down.
'Ninety-three. Why is he still so strong?' Scarlett thought, her gaze fixed on Abraham. His age was a stark contrast to his youthful appearance, 'He looks like 60 or 70 but not 93,' Scarlett thought shaking her head in denial of Abraham's statement, believing he had lied.
"Jesus Christ," Marie groaned, covering her face with her hands. She regretted even questioning Abraham. His obsession with the Master had consumed him, making him a ticking time bomb, ready to explode at any moment.
•-----•-----•-----•-----•
"Grimm. She smells delicious," Lena whispered, her gaze fixed on Marie, a hint of predatory curiosity in her voice.
"Don't mess with her," Amelia warned, her voice a hushed whisper, a sound only those with heightened senses could hear. Her eyes flickered open for a moment, focusing on Marie. "She's one of those Grimms who only hunts those who have done wrong," she said, her voice laced with a chilling respect.
"But if you face her, maybe I'll be seeing your head on a pike," Amelia added, her voice tinged with wry amusement. Though Marie might appear approachable to a casual observer, Amelia knew Marie's bloody reputation in the supernatural world.
"Is that so?" Lena simply responded, not arguing with her mother. Despite her strength and speed, Lena understood that the world was vast and full of hidden dangers. Marie might be one of them.
"Then what about the Master? Who is it?" Lena asked, changing the subject, intrigued by the mention of a vampire who was known as the "Master." The very idea of a vampire being titled "Master" was peculiar. In their vampires lineage, Lena knew how vampires were fiercely independent, with a deep sense of pride, and they wouldn't readily accept a leader, especially one with such a title, that's why they got three elders who two will be put into sleep when one is awakened.
Amelia pursed her lips, remembering the shame that the elders felt about this rogue vampire.
"He is the failure," she said, her voice cold, her tone laced with disdain.
"Another elder who should have died." Amelia, too, sought the Master's destruction. He was a stain on their lineage, a disgrace that needed to be eradicated.
"Now focus," Amelia said, closing her eyes, "This isn't the reason we came here."
They were present in the meeting to make it clear that their vampire lineage had nothing to do with Marcus's actions, actions that threatened to tarnish their reputation and make them targets of other organizations.
Lena, her eyes wide with shock, looked around, surprised by the revelation of another elder, one she and her kind had never known existed. She released a sigh, standing up beside Amelia, her movements silent. Now wasn't the time to ask questions.
As a steady stream of arrivals continued, each figure added to the growing tension in the room.
As the last person took their seat, a collective shift in the atmosphere became apparent. The hum of hushed conversations quieted, replaced by a palpable anticipation.
All eyes, it seemed, were drawn to the host of this meeting, Henry Carver, a silent demand for the meeting to begin.
•-----•-----•-----•-----•
"Shall we begin, gentlemen?" Henry announced, rising from his seat, his movements smooth and confident. He buttoned up his suit, his gaze sweeping over the room before settling on the women present. "And, of course, ladies," he added, a charming smile playing on his lips, a gesture meant to appease and disarm.
"Tsk. Disgusting," Marie muttered, her lips curling in disdain. She recognized the Henry, an pusher type awakened human that can subtly manipulate anyone they want if their mind is stronger. Her reaction was mirrored by others, a chorus of clicks of tongues and narrowing of eyes. Some remained impassive, their expressions a mask of indifference, but their eyes held a flicker of judgment.
Undeterred, Henry continued, "Now, first of all, we are all gathered here today to punish those who have broken the fragile peace of our worlds, a person who has broken the rules." His voice was firm, commanding attention.
Henry pressed a remote control, plunging the room into darkness. On the large, blank wall, a video began to play, displaying grainy footage from the cleaners surveillance cameras.
"Last night, two supernatural creatures attacked the Széll Kálmán tér subway station in Budapest, killing every innocent passerby. One, with a distinct appearance, led them inside." Henry narrated, the footage showing two Murciélagos wreaking havoc, their shrieks echoing through the station, their presence causing chaos and death.
Marcus stood at the back, his presence commanding the creatures attention.
Henry rewound the video, pausing it, focusing on the Murciélagos. "We have found from this footage that these creatures followed their instinct, drawn to those who are stronger."
Marie frowned, she felt the Murciélagos was a bit familiar. Like she had encountered them before, but their hybrid nature had changed them significantly, from their appearance and their abilities, makes it hard for her to remember.
Henry played the video again, pausing it on Marcus. "And this one, we've learned from those who sent this video to all of us, the Cleaners, an organization led by Lorenz Macaro,"
Henry turned to Amelia, his voice turning cold.
"From their information, he is Marcus Corvinus, one of the elders of Corvinus vampires." His words hung in the air, a subtle threat, a warning to the gathered assembly.
Instinctively, every member of the meeting turned to look at Amelia, their eyes keen, their curiosity and suspicion masked by a facade of formality.
"I hope Elder Amelia can confirm if this information is true or not," Henry said, his gaze unwavering. He knew Amelia was powerful, but even those who stood above the rules would be held accountable.
Amelia felt the weight of everyone's gaze settle upon her. She could sense their curiosity, their suspicion, their hidden desires. But she maintained her composure, her expression impassive as she faced Henry.
"Yes, he is Marcus. And no vampires of the Corvinus lineage know what he is doing, nor do they support his actions," Amelia stated, her voice steady and devoid of emotion. "So I hope the people here won't take this as an opportunity to create trouble." Her words were a subtle warning, a reminder that they were not to target anyone in their vampire lineage.
The tension in the room remained palpable, the implications of Marcus's actions and his affiliation with the Corvinus lineage echoing in the silence.
The meeting had just begun, and the people with hidden agendas were ready to make their moves.
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END OF CHAPTER
Extra Chapter for 200 Power Stones
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UPCOMING CHAPTERS SPOILERS:
Chapter 94: Meeting Part 2, Chapter 95: Suspicion s, Chapter 96: The Deal, Chapter 97: Sexual Tension, Chapter 98: Resigning & Joining, Chapter 99: Arrivals, Chapter 100: Introduction, Chapter 101: Information, Chapter 102: Temptations, Chapter 103: A intense bath R18, Chapter 104: Wryness R18, Chapter 105: Mitsuki's Powers, Chapter 106: Getting Ready, Chapter 107: Getting Ready(2), Chapter 108: Corvinus Castle, Chapter 109: Corvinus Castle, Chapter 110: A Hybrids Fall, Chapter 111: I told you so, Chapter 112: It's You, Chapter 113: Continuation, Chapter 114: William's Prison, Chapter 115: William's Prison(2), Chapter 116: William's Prison(3), Chapter 117: Death of the Twins, Chapter 118: I Fucking Knew It, Chapter 119: I Fucking Knew It(2), Chapter 120: The Last Fight, Chapter 121: The Last Fight(2)
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