Talon gently kissed her, "As am I." His arms were still wrapped around her.

Eclipse nodded.
"Thank you." He said, obviously fatigued. He went out and prowled for a meal.

Eclipse wandered around the neighboring area and spotted a woman standing alone under a street light. She caught his eye and smiled.
"Hey, sweetie." She called. "You don't seem like the type to be out here."
"I end up going around at night from time to time." He replied. "But I'm not looking for pleasure. I'm looking for a meal."
The woman was confused. "The hell're you doing out here, then?"
Eclipse sighed. "Uhh, I never really got comfortable with this." He thought for a bit. "Do you have anyone who you are close with?"
"Not in this profession."
"Do you like your life?"
The laugh again. "Not in this profession!"
Eclipse chuckled. "What would you say to leaving that behind?"
She tensed. "You're not some sort of Jack the Ripper, are you?"
"Not a Jack. That was another guy." Eclipse sighed again. "I'm a vampire."
She took out a cigarette and lit it. "Shit. You're serious, aren't you?"
Eclipse nodded. "Would you join me? I apologize if I'm being blunt, but I need a meal right now and you want a better life."
She took a smoke. "Sounds like you caught the right girl. I've wanted to be a badass vampiress all my life."
Eclipse laughed and approached her and wrapped his arms around her. "Close your eyes and relax."

Sylph watched the one man get up and walk out. Turning back to the remaining occupants of the room she let out a yawn. "Sylph is sleepy." She mumbled. Crawling into one of the beds she curled herself up under the covers and closed her eyes.

**************

410 walking purposefully through the halls of the Bernhardt Manor. She didn't have a destination but eventually one of them had to find 404. They had split up once they had gotten inside unobserved to attract less attention. Having three identical girls wandering together would be bizarrely suspicious. Still she was getting baffled looks from the staff as though her being there now didn't' seem to make sense. That confirmed that 404 was here somewhere. The only problem is when they found her, what would 404 do? Would she still be the same person as before and willingly come back? Would she attack on sight? Nothing was certain. The reports that came in before she vanished had said something about an explosion and if she remembered right, then 405 may have said something about 404 getting hit in the head. She sighed and continued walking passing a man with a predator's grin on his face. (Eclipse) The look he gave her was a confused double take. She didn't stick around for him to say anything.

****************************

003 sat splayed out in a chair. Exhaustion weighed down her body. It had been a long several nights and her body craved sleep. But she wanted to see the start. They'd gotten 000's chamber hooked up correctly and all of the equipment was in place and proper working order. It started slow at first, a low vibration then got louder until the air around her seemed to hum with the noise as the complex machinery started up. Computers blinked on and numbers letter symbols and other code all ran across their screens in seconds. The machinery moved sluggishly through the fluid that held 000 suspended. Needles penetrated, sample takers took samples. 000 seemed to flinch unconsciously at the probing and 003 felt guilt at her Mother's pain. But for the Sylph state to become real they needed to do this.
The machines withdrew from 000's body and went back to their 'sleep' position. Turning to the computer near her 003 turned the monitor on and scrolled through the camera windows until she found the hatchery. The first batch of new sisters were floating suspended in their tubes, waiting to be awakened and greeted into their paradise.
"Sylph is Sylph," She said tiredly, "Sylph is Legion"

************************************

009 had good news to report. "Sisters, 406 has reestablished contact with us. She'll return with her team as soon as they get back in contact with her." There were nods around the room as the council members evaluated the news and filed it in with their plans.
"What was their mission?" 007 asked.
"They were to retrieve Unit 404 and debrief her on the mission that lost P401 and the destruction of S40. After which she went missing"
"Is it a vital task? Perhaps we should simply recall them as we did the others." 008 suggested.
"406 was adamant on the retrieval of her sister. I do not think they will be convinced to return until they have found her."

Katia looked up into Talon's eyes and smiled gently. "Truthfully, if you hadn't questioned everything about vampire society, I wouldn't have started to question everything about it." She kissed him softly. "I'm grateful."

******

Valentina stepped out of the car, and looked to her house. "The deaths of the counsel, really complicates things." She thought out loud, as she walked into the house.

Talon shrugged, "Its kinda like when I read the bible back in the old days, rather than having people read it to me. Made me realize how dumb that ancient book really was. You don't know how foolish something is, until you see it presented before you."

Katia rested her head on Talon's chest, and looked up into his eyes. "Truthfully, I never really understood it." She replied, in reference to the Bible. "Some of the older vampires, who were alive at that time, don't ever remember it being like that...even Saraphis, who's over 3000 years old, doesn't remember anything quite like the 'stories' in the Bible."

******

Valentina walked into the house, and past one of the front rooms. She paused, thinking she had seen Slyph in the room she just walked by. She turned, and walked back a few steps. "Slyph...I thought you'd be sleeping?"

Eclipse walked back to the mansion with the woman on his back.
"Sorry. I took your blood and didn't even ask your name."
The woman brought her face forward to look Eclipse in the eye and smiled. "It's Jocelyn, but I mostly go by Lynn."
"Lynn it is." They went on in a comfortable silence for a bit as they entered. Eclipse spotted Equinox and Anna, who, it appears, had just finished a meal of their own. Eclipse addressed Anna. "This is Lynn, my newly converted. Do you think you could let her room with you?"
She giggled. "Sure!" Anna grabbed Lynn and dragged her to the room. Her voice became faint as she excitedly talked to her new friend.
Equinox approached.
"Quite the looker. Trying to make me jealous?" he teased.
"Nothing of the sort. She just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time." They both chuckled, enjoying a moment as brothers. Eclipse quickly turned back against Equinox when he spotted Sylph in his bed. "Is this your idea of a joke?!"
Equinox burst into laughter.
"I forgot about that!" he cried. "She just fell asleep, Eclipse. C'mon, we can share my bed."
Eclipse, still angry, approached Sylph. His anger dissipated when he saw how calm she was and tucked her in without a second thought. He got into Equinox's bed and slept.

Sylph was floating in her tube, minding her own business. Coming up with random imaginings. It was her specialty. She wondered if the things that hurt her were taking her imaginings away. She never seemed to be able to remember them after wards. They were comign at her again, moving through the liquid and there was nothing she could do to avoid them despite her struggles. They forced their way into her body and she screamed, soundless in the viscous liquid, bubbles drifting lazily from her mouth.
Sylph began to thrash around on the bed, making noises of pain.

*************************

408 turned when her name was said. She saw the woman who had taken 404 here. Panic filled her. Did 404 say anything to her? if so what did she say? There was no way 408 could imitate her sister, especially not knowing which persona she was using. Taking a risk that she knew might get her killed she responded to Valentina Bernhardt.
"Not sleepy... Just woke up." She said and stretched a little bit. She watched Valentina, heart pounding.

The vampire thugs laughed, and started circling, a few with blood trickling from their mouths. His father moved to his side, his eyes wide in fear.
"You want to see something - or not!?" one of them laughed, then all of them started racing around them, moving far faster than human eyes could even pray to keep up with. Even a vampire would have found it difficult to keep up tracking one of them, never mind eight.
Matthew's eyes widened - then narrowed in puzzlement.
"Scared? Trying to work it all out?" one of them taunted.

"Not really," Matthew said a little confusedly.
"Just wondering why you're all acting so fast when you're all going in slow motion..."

The vampires were so stunned by his words they almost fell over.
"What!?" one of them spat. "I think you've lost your damn mind."
Two of them broke the circle and darted inwards - then simply collapsed as though they'd suffered heart attacks, and blood coated Matthew's knuckles and jaws.
He made a sound like a hungry tiger and charged. Even to the vampires he seemed to flicker from sight and two more fell.
The fourth ripped the car door off a car and threw it at him.
He caught it, threw it aside, picked up the car itself with a single hand - causing every vampire to goggle in amazement - then threw it casually, crushing the fourth, fifth and sixth.
The last - the eight got away - he took with both legs and tore him in half like a wishbone.
Then he collapsed, roaring like a wounded animal, and his father ran to his side.
He gasped in the street, like he was choking on something. His father hurried him away, and all that was left was the blood on the tarmac, the wreckage of a car, and a busted fire hydrant.

Eclipse heard Sylph groaning in pain as she slept and got up, worried. He softly shook her shoulder, trying to wake her from the nightmare or to see what was wrong.
"Equinox, wake up." he whispered.
Equinox woke up and heard Sylph. He went to her side.
"What's wrong?"

Sylph awoke when she was shaken. Her breath came in quick fearful breaths. "Hurting. Hurting Sylph again. They are always hurting Sylph." She started to cry. "Why do they keep hurting Sylph? Keep stealing her imaginings? It isn't fair."

Eclipse brushed Sylph's face softly as he hushed.
"You're all right. You were dreaming."

"Are you sure? Sylph can't tell if they are Sylph's memories or her imagining." She said sadly looking at Eclipse and Equinox.
"Sylph...Sylph doesn't think she is alone. Sylph thinks Sylph has siblings, remembers having many of them. But... Sylph doesn't know what happened to them. Or where the others are, or where Sylph is..." With each word she seemed to grow more depressed.
"Sylph is...Sylph is... Lonely. Wants her sisters. Where did they go?"

Shinimagami wrote:

Katia rested her head on Talon's chest, and looked up into his eyes. "Truthfully, I never really understood it." She replied, in reference to the Bible. "Some of the older vampires, who were alive at that time, don't ever remember it being like that...even Saraphis, who's over 3000 years old, doesn't remember anything quite like the 'stories' in the Bible."

******

Valentina walked into the house, and past one of the front rooms. She paused, thinking she had seen Slyph in the room she just walked by. She turned, and walked back a few steps. "Slyph...I thought you'd be sleeping?"

Talon thought for a few seconds before speaking, "Humans are plagued by the need to control, I guess vampires are plagued by it too?"

Valentina smiled gently. "Well, I'm glad you've made yourself comfortable." She said. "Let any of my 'servants' know if you need anything, and they'll see that you get it. I just ask that you not leave the house until I find your parents; okay?"

******

Katia sat up in the bed, and shook her head. "No. We're driven by hunger." She replied. "The counsel was first established to hinder us from bringing humanity to the brink of extinction." She looked at Talon. "It wasn't until the middle ages when the counsel began to impose more rules, and keeping purebloods together." She looked at the bed. "I'm not really sure why they got like that, it was long before I was born, and my mother doesn't talk about it much."

"I'll try to remember that, ma'am." 408 told Valentina. Walking away at what she hoped was an inconspicuous pace 408 turned a corner and let her heart settle into a more relaxed beat. That had been close, but had she gotten away without raising any suspicions?

*************************

410 was irritated. This place had so many rooms, and 404 wasn't in any of them! There were still probably hundreds more to check but it would take forever. She'd seen 407 several times now, the two meeting where their search areas intersected. Thankfully the hallways had been devoid of servants each time they'd met. But how long would their luck hold? It couldn't go on forever. Maybe they should just make it apparent that they were there and ask if anyone had seen 404. She sighed bitterly and continued to the next hallway. She saw 408 slipping around a corner and gave a small wave as she stepped into the hallway her sister had just been in. She walked a few paces and then froze as Valentina Bernhardt was staring at her with a confused and thoughtful expression. Uh oh.

Shinimagami wrote:

Valentina smiled gently. "Well, I'm glad you've made yourself comfortable." She said. "Let any of my 'servants' know if you need anything, and they'll see that you get it. I just ask that you not leave the house until I find your parents; okay?"

******

Katia sat up in the bed, and shook her head. "No. We're driven by hunger." She replied. "The counsel was first established to hinder us from bringing humanity to the brink of extinction." She looked at Talon. "It wasn't until the middle ages when the counsel began to impose more rules, and keeping purebloods together." She looked at the bed. "I'm not really sure why they got like that, it was long before I was born, and my mother doesn't talk about it much."

Talon crossed his arms, "Maybe, maybe something horrific, world wide, happened around that time, some catastrophic to vampires and humans alike."

Valentina raised her brow to Slyph. "Are you lost, Slyph?" She asked.

******

Katia looked at Talon and shrugged her shoulders. "It's a possibility."

410 stood there, too shocked to reply. Did she not just see 408 go that way? I cam from the other direction. Is this some sort of trap? She opened her mouth but didn't have anything to say at the moment. Should she just come right out and ask where 404 was?
"Uh...There are so many rooms here. I honestly have no idea how you know which room holds what. This place is just as massive as Home is.

***********************

408 pressed herself against the corner, eavesdropping as 410 confronted Valentina. She was prepared to defend her pack leader if it came to that.

***********************

"Sylph...Sylph doesn't know. Do you know where her sisters are? If you do, could you tell them that Sylph is here. She misses them."

***********************

407 froze as she heard the voice speaking behind the door. Was that...? She opened the door as noiselessly as possible and stuck her head into the room. She saw a young girl, identical to herself in every way sitting in a bed with two men by her side. She looked like she was crying. 404!
407 stepped fully into the room and saw her sister's gaze immediately lock onto her. "There you are. We've been searching for you!" She said happily.

Matthew was sitting on a wall, staring at the blood coating his clothes.

Cervengeance telephoned the last surviving vampire.
"Impressed?"
"...He was like nothing I've ever seen. I can't even begin to describe how powerful a weapon you've got yourself there."
They talked some more, then Cervengeance ended the call.
"We are almost ready to deploy him," he said to Herder. "All we need to do is provide some... motivation..."

Eclipse looked at Sylph.
"I thought I just imagined it, but I saw one who bore a striking resemblance to you. Do you think your sisters could be here?"

"Hi." 407 said waving to Eclipse and Equinox. "I'm one of her sisters. We've been looking for her. I'm glad someone found her at least." She continued smiling, the stealth part of their mission was obviously compromised now. But at least she'd found 404. She approached her sister and climbed up onto the bed next to her. "How have you been?"

*****************************

Slyph stared at the girl that was kneeling near her on the bed. "Sylph...Sylph has been lonely!" She said accusingly to the other girl. Tears came to her eyes anew and she nearly tackled 407 off of the bed. "Slyph missed you so much. Sylph was scared."

Equinox raised an eyebrow.
"Guess you're sane after all." he said to Eclipse.
Eclipse ignored him.
"Looks like you were right." He told Sylph. Eclipse turned to the new girl. "'One of her sisters,' huh?" He paused. "What's your name?"

"Four Oh Seven." 407 said lifting her right hand so they could see the numbers tattooed there. She turned her attention back to her sister. "You were the one who wandered off after your mission with 405 and the others. They're dead." That last sentence was a mixture of questioning and accusation.

********************************

Sylph paused in her sobbing. They were dead? 406, 405, 400, 401, 402 and 403. All of them were dead? "H-How? Sylph...Sylph thought they were alive."

********************************

"We don't know 404. They never checked in. 406 took over for 399. We were all hoping you could tell us what happened."

********************************

"406 is alive? Sylph thought 406 was there too."

********************************

"She was injured. This was her first mission. She doesn't remember much. All she told us was there was an explosion."

********************************

"An explosion..." Slyph said. She rolled backwards off of 407 and sat with her back against the bed trying to rack her brain for memories.[/i]