


The Other

by Impulse5



Category: Underworld
Genre: Adventure, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2004-01-04
Updated: 2004-01-22
Packaged: 2013-06-26 05:00:39
Rating: T
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,999
Publisher: www.fanfiction.net
Story URL: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/1673357/1/
Author URL: http://www.fanfiction.net/u/386810/Impulse5
Summary: After centuries of war between the Lycans and Vampyres, it has taken an unexpected turn. Now, a third kind joins Selene and Michael in a battle for their lives.





	1. Chapter One

***Prologue***  
  
Everyone knows how the war started now and the kinds that were involved: Lycans and Vampyres but what if there was a third immortal kind that was more powerful that Lycan and Vampyre combined called the Annexes, but what if the Annexes just stood on the sidelines for centuries watching the war and doing nothing?   
  
* * *  
  
Selene and Michael ran down the subway tunnel with Death Dealers and Lycans behind them, bullets whizzing past their heads. It had been this way every night for the past month, dodging bullets and tossing off Lycans and Vampyres every night. 'It's almost ironic, after centuries of warring with each other Vampyres and Lycans are practically joining to bring us down'. Ever since Selene had killed Viktor and the word about the half Vampyre-half Lycan had spread to the new leader of the Lycans, both breeds have been hunting them.   
  
"Selene!" Michael dragged her from her thoughts. "Over there!" He pointed at the door to the outside.   
  
Selene nodded, but before she followed Michael up the stairs; she span around and pulled out her two .9mm guns and firing them at the Lycans and Vampyres. In her left gun was silver nitrate filled capsules and in her right was ultraviolet capsules that she had stole from her old mansion. Selene turned back around and followed Michael into the night.   
  
When Selene got to the surface, Michael was nowhere to be found. She looked around, using her Vampyric senses but still could not sense his aura anywhere. Then someone grabbed her hand and pulled her to the ground, but it wasn't Michael. It was another man, with darker and slightly shorter hair and stunning green eyes. His aura swept over her skin that made her heart feel warmer.  
  
"Where's Michael?" she asked, though, not really sure he knew.  
  
The man pointed at a corner where Michael was crouched down looked around it. "There. Come on." The man let go of Selene's arm and looked around while he made his way through the crowd to Michael, with Selene in tow.  
  
Michael stood up when he saw Selene walking toward him, including the man that saved him from a silver bullet. "Who are you?" he asked.  
  
The man ignored his question. "Come on, their catching onto your scent," he instructed as he touched Michael's jacket where blood ran down his front. The man motioned for them to follow as he ran down the alley. Selene and Michael passed each other glances, normally they wouldn't follow any stranger but they were running out of choices. The two raced down the alley towards the stranger.  
  
The man stopped as he turned a corner to a '04 Porsche, he unlocked it with a keyless entry and he got into the driver's seat. "Get in."  
  
Selene hopped into the center and Michael followed. The man sped off, with three Lycans behind them. Selene pulled out her .9mm and pointed it at the man's face. "Who are you?"  
  
"My name is Andrew, I'm an Annex."  
  
"Annex?" Michael asked.  
  
"Guardians of the Immortal?" Andrew asked, trying to trigger their memory.  
  
Selene kept her gun on them. "I heard about your kind . . ." she began.  
  
"I know, we could've stopped the war before it got any worse, but all Annexes were forbidden to get involved from our boss the Elders," Andrew explained.   
  
Selene sighed and put her gun away. "Then what're you doing here?"  
  
"When I heard that two immortals, a Vampyre and a halfbreed Vampyre were on the run from the Lycans and other Vampyres. I knew I had to protect you."  
  
"Why?" Michael asked, still not understanding why he was risking his life for theirs.  
  
"Because I know what it's like to be hunted because of what kind of blood you have . . ." he explained. He looked in the rearview mirror and smiled. "We're losing them." He took his eyes off the mirror and watched the road.  
  
Suddenly, a gunshot echoed through the alley and Selene screamed out in pain.   
  
"Selene!" Michael exclaimed. 


	2. Chapter Two

* * *  
  
"Son of a bitch!" Andrew exclaimed as Selene got shot through the front of her shoulder, he veered to the right but got the wheel stabilized. Not only did Selene feel it, but so did Andrew, but just for a second. "It's a normal bullet. Selene, stay calm. I can save you, don't pull the bullet out just yet."  
  
"Where are we going?" Michael asked, keeping pressure on the wound. Selene's eyes clouded as they turned ice blue, from the hot pain.   
  
"My house . . . it's protected. You'll be safe," Andrew explained.  
  
Selene's eyes went out of focus, though it was a normal bullet, it felt like it'd been filled with hot rays from the sun. She had been shot before, though, she recovered in a night and somehow the pain didn't feel this bad. But maybe she just pressed it far from her mind. Selene tried to focus on Michael's face instead of the pain, but he went out of focus.   
  
"Selene . . . look at me," Michael pleaded. Her life wasn't going to end like this, he assured himself. Andrew would help them, and if he didn't, Michael wouldn't let him live to see the day. "Selene," he whispered.  
  
Selene's eyes traveled over to him, she swallowed. "God, this hurts," she said in a British accent.   
  
"Don't worry, Andrew is going to heal you," he said, though not as an explanation but as a commandment.  
  
"Right, just stay with us. We'll get there in a few . . . now," Andrew stopped inside of a gate. "Come on."  
  
'That's strange, I didn't see that mansion before', Michael thought as he pulled Selene out of the car and into his arms.   
  
As if Andrew was reading his thoughts, and maybe he was. "I teleported us here from the alleys. Seemed like a good idea. Through here." Andrew's hands shot out and the large wooden, and partly silver, doors opened.   
  
Selene kept her eyes open to search the large mansion. The floor shined as if Andrew had been working on it for hours, large stairs were made out of oak . . . strangely, it reminded Selene of the mansion she was living in before she met Michael, except for the absence of Vampyres and burning fires, it would be exactly the same.  
  
"I live here alone, so no one will bother you." Andrew turned to the right, Michael followed him. His hands shot out again, and another set of smaller doors opened revealing a Victorian bedroom with a large canopy bed. Andrew motioned to the couch in the corner, candles illuminated to life that lit up the room dimly.  
  
Michael laid Selene on the couch gently and crouched next to her and clutched her cold hand. "Hold on."  
  
"Okay, Michael. I'll need some room," Andrew said as he rubbed his hands together, reluctantly, Michael backed off. "Selene, this is going to hurt." Andrew raised his hand over Selene's wound, the bullet flew out of her shoulder and into his hand. Selene hissed and she bared her teeth and her eyes went to ice blue, then she calmed down and closed her eyes, when she opened them, they were back to the brown.  
  
Andrew crouched over Selene and put both hands over her now bleeding profusely shoulder. They began to glow the most brilliant gold that Selene had ever seen. She inhaled, she felt her wound disappear and the blood loss not making her feel so light headed. After a few moments, Andrew took his hand away. "Good as new. A few more minutes and you'd be really dead." He got to his feet and held his hand out, Selene took his hand and sat up and swung her feet onto the floor. Not only had her wound gone away, but all the blood that was pouring out was all gone, including the blood that was on the couch.   
  
"I even cured your blood loss," Andrew said, pleased with himself.  
  
"Thank you," Selene said sincerely. 


	3. Chapter Three

* * *   
  
Andrew smelled Michael's blood. "And for you . . ." he raised his hand.  
  
Michael wanted to be brave. "It's just a scratch," he stated.  
  
Andrew's eyebrows furrowed as he caught the lie. "Well, to ease my own worries." His hand glowed and Michael turned and saw the same amazing gold light, Andrew took his hand away. "O.K. There's the kitchen down the hall and to the right, fully stocked. And the training room, complete with a shooting field and everything," he said with a glance toward Selene. "I'll be upstairs." He exited the room and left Selene and Michael standing there.  
  
Selene sighed and took off her coat and laid it on the couch. She unzipped her leather outfit a couple inches away from her neck.  
  
Michael turned. "I almost lost you . . ." he stated.  
  
Selene looked at him. "No you didn't," she argued. "I would've survived."  
  
"No you wouldn't have . . ." Michael said as he moved closer to her. "I felt the life slipping from you . . . your eyes clouded," he said as he took another couple of steps closer. "I almost lost you," he repeated.  
  
Selene took in a short amount of air as he got closer. "You'll never lose me," she whispered as he got so close that she could hear his heart skip a beat.  
  
Their noses were almost touching. "And you'll never lose me . . ." he whispered back.   
  
Selene felt like comforting him, but she realized that he wasn't sad but really serious. Michael's hand touched her pale cheek and caressed it. Selene leaned forward and kissed him just like the first time, but it wasn't because she wanted to lock him to a wall . . . she just wanted him. Michael kissed her back, and it grew more passionate with every second that went by. Michael's hand that was on her cheek went to the back of her neck as he gently pushed her closer to him, as her arms went around his neck. Then Michael showed her that she was never going to lose him.  
  
* * *  
  
That night, after the day rose and went back down, Michael and Selene woke up in each other's arms in the Victorian canopy bed. Selene's head was resting on his chest as his arm held her. "Are you awake?" Michael whispered squeezing her gently.  
  
Selene held the sheets across her chest as she picked up her head and laid it on the pillow next to Michael's. "Yes."  
  
"Thought so, I heard your breath changing . . ." he stated, not knowing what to say. Though he wanted this for a long time, he never knew what was going to happen afterwards. Selene brushed a lock of hair away from her face.   
  
"We can't stay here, Michael," Selene said, though, not really what she wanted to say.   
  
Michael nodded, though this house was protection for the night, Selene and Michael both didn't want to spend their immortal lives running from the Lycans and Vampyres.  
  
Michael's hand reached to Selene's chin and tilted it upward as he kissed her passionately and she kissed him back. Suddenly, the door opened, Michael broke away as Andrew walked inside, Selene grabbed the sheets and made sure they were covering her up. "Hey you two, I almost cleaned out the refridgerator while you two were sleeping the day away . . . Get dressed."  
  
"Who are you, my mother?" Michael asked.  
  
Andrew stopped as he was picking up their clothes and piling them neatly. "Well someone woke up on the wrong side of cage this morning." He walked out and closed the door behind him.  
  
Michael fell back.  
  
* * *The Vampyre Mansion* * *  
  
Markus sat in his large throne-like chair, Craven bowed before him. "We haven't been able to locate them sir, we shot one of them with a regular bullet. Selene or the Hybrid must be wounded."  
  
Markus shook his head. "No, both of them would be able to heal. They're back to normal health now, how have you lost track of them?"  
  
"A man helped them," Craven explained. "Annex, by the looks of him."  
  
Markus looked Craven in the eye. "Make a meeting," he resolved. "With the Elders of the Annexes, and the Lycans."  
  
"Sir?" Craven asked.  
  
"We will settle this," he hissed. "Every Immortal being will be after them. They will have nowhere else to go."  
  
" 


	4. Chapter Four

* * * The Annex Mansion* * *  
  
When Michael and Selene walked into the kitchen, Andrew was bustling around the stoves. "Uh---there's eggs, orange juice, and AB Positive . . . your pick. Go ahead and sit down."   
  
Selene sat down and noticed Andrew's aura filled with nervousness as she and Michael sat down at a wooden table next to a counter in the large kitchen. "Are you okay?" she asked.  
  
"Um, just had a bad dream last night, that's all. That and you're the first company that I've had in over 25 years."  
  
Selene remembered that Annexes were shy and essentially lonely creatures and that the only thing that would only bring out the strength and courage in them was protecting their charges from danger. Michael passed a glance at her.   
  
"What will the Elders do to you if they find out you're helping us?" Selene asked. "Take away your powers?"   
  
Andrew carried their food and drink over to the table and sat down. "No, they can't. Other Annexes were born human but were made into Annexes. I was born an Annex, my powers were born to me. They might send other Annexes after me but I've got something to protect myself with."  
  
"So you're actually putting us in danger?" Michael asked.  
  
Andrew shook his head. "I told you, the Elders don't want to get involved with the war. They'll wait until I'm alone when you two are gone."  
  
"Ironic really," Selene mentioned. "We'll put you in danger and save you."  
  
"That's how I see it."  
  
Michael was annoyed with all the waves of nervousness and fear that came from Andrew. He dropped his fork on his plate, interrupting the conversation between Selene and Andrew. "What exactly did you see in that dream, Andrew?"   
  
Andrew closed his mouth and lost eye contact. "Three leaders, two of them I recognized. One was Markus and the other was Nikolas, the Chief Elder."  
  
Michael's jaw clenched in fury. "They were talking about us, weren't they?" He stood up and pointed at Andrew. "Thanks to you we've got a freaking army after us now! Things would've been just fine without you."   
  
Selene hopped to her feet and put her hands on Michael's shoulders. "Michael, calm down. You know that's not true."   
  
Andrew kept his hand flat on the table, he looked up and his eyes were glowing red. "Markus is smart and he wants you dead. He'll do anything even make his enemies his friends to bury you. Like it or not, you need me, you need somewhere to go when the heat is onto you."  
  
Michael sighed as he noticed Selene's pleading look on her face. They both sat back down.   
  
Selene exhaled. "Didn't know Annexes' eyes changed like Vampyres and Lycans."  
  
"We're a lot alike, since the war started, even though we were sworn off to interfere. We changed so that we'd be like both of the species. Not too Vampyre but not too Lycan. Helped keep the peace when we ran into them."  
  
Selene smiled. "I wanted to ask you something . . . how come you're called Guardians of the Immortals when you kill both kinds?"  
  
"We don't protect all immortals but when we do protect somebody, they're immortal. We found a loophole to that rule." 


	5. Chapter Five

* * *  
  
Andrew led Selene and Michael through the wide, marble halls. He opened a door that revealed a really large room that was split in two, on one half was a large mat and carts and carts of weapons from axes to crossbows; on the other half was a shooting range with revolvers, rifles, machine guns, and rows of ammunition. Selene was in awe.  
  
"This'll help us," Andrew said as he made his way to the guns.   
  
Michael still didn't trust him, even though he should after he saved Selene, maybe he was just being territorial. But since Michael was also half Vampyre, he didn't feel so strongly about it. "Us?"  
  
Andrew turned around as if Michael had said something bad about his mother. "I'm not leaving you alone, we can help each other. The Elders won't come after me until the Lycans and Vampyres convince them to."  
  
Selene was way too distracted loading the weapons and running her fingers over them, it felt just like the old days when everything was so simple. She had been out of weapons for weeks, she and Michael had cleaned out the interrogation room.   
  
Michael shook his head in disgust and moved to Selene to look at the guns. He picked up a small .8mm, Andrew grabbed Michael's wrist. "With all due respect . . . sir," he said. "Selene knows how to use these, you don't." Selene turned to Andrew. "I suppose you teach him before we go."  
  
Michael growled, almost losing control and pulled his arm away. Andrew moved away to the other half with the ancient weapons. Michael's eyes turned midnight black and grabbed a revolver and whirled around. Selene reached for his arm. "Michael, no!" she hissed. Michael was done listening.  
  
Andrew turned around as the gunshot rang out, the bullet came in slow motion as did Michael and Selene's reaction. Like Michael's propulsion that came with the Lycan and Vampyre blood, Andrew walked around the stalling and ran to Michael and grabbed the gun. Andrew slowed down to normal speed, Michael and Selene jumped back when they realized that Andrew wasn't there to recieve the bullet and that he was next to Michael.  
  
Andrew's eyes just weren't glowing red, but his shirt began to expand as his muscles grew. Michael began to morph too, Selene tried to step between them, but they moved at superspeed to the mat. "Shit," she whispered.  
  
Michael's skin changed from the peach to the greyish-blue. In a few moments, he was all the way changed.  
  
"You don't want to fight me, Michael," Andrew said.   
  
"Trying to back out already, what kind of protector are you. No wonder the Elders forbid you to help anyone, you'd probably end the race in a second," Michael urged.   
  
Selene winced, 'that was NOT the thing to say'. As soon as she thought it, Andrew's eyes flashed red and he opened his hands at his sides. "Did you know that Lycans are afraid of fire?" Andrew antagonized. "They get it from the wolf inside, like Vampyres are to sunlight." Fire errupted from Andrew's palms shooting at Michael. Michael moved out of the way with ease and growled. Andrew used this time to use his Lycan abilities as well, he growled louder showing Lycan-like teeth. Suddenly, Selene shot off a couple of blanks.  
  
Michael and Andrew jumped back with the loud noise and looked at her questioningly. "Michael, change back," she said quietly but sternly. "And you," she pointed the gun at him. "You change back too, and for the love of God stop bloody fighting." Andrew nodded, the fire in his palms disappeared in a puff of smoke and his muscles began to go back to normal.  
  
They were both back to normal. "Selene," Michael pleaded that she wasn't mad at him.  
  
"Michael, we will do what Andrew asks and train you. Andrew, you will leave us alone," she commanded.  
  
Andrew gave Michael a hard look and disappeared in a flash of bright light as a last poke at Michael's patience. Selene put the gun on the shelf and turned back to him. "We need him, Michael."  
  
* * * Abandoned warehouse* * *  
  
The new Lycan leader, Benjamin was only about three-hundred years old and that was young for a leader as important as him. He had just gotten the message from the Vampyres asking to meet them and the Elders about the Hybrid and the Death Dealer. He sat in a wooden chair in a circle, his advisor, Julian was standing next to him.   
  
The doors opened and a limo drove inside. The windows were more tinted than usual, so Benjamin guessed that it was the Vampyres. The doors shut behind the limo and Markus and Kraven came out. Benjamin stayed seated. "You're late."  
  
Markus's bodyguards hissed. Markus held up a hand. "But still earlier than the people we're worried about."  
  
Benjamin nodded once and sniffed the air, Markus raised an eyebrow. "It's them. They're here."  
  
In a bright flash, two men and one woman appeared in white. "Correct. It was awful rude of you to ask us of a meeting after centuries of hating us."  
  
"I was just about to say the same thing," Benjamin stated.  
  
Markus motioned at the chairs. "Sit down, Elders. We have very important things to talk about."  
  
The leader, Nikolas sat down first and the man and woman at his sides sat down next to him. "Is it about Andrew?"  
  
"Is that what you call that traitor?" Benjamin spat.   
  
Nikolas ignored the comment. "Andrew, has deserted the rules of interference and helped them, didn't he?"  
  
Markus nodded. "I propose a Treaty, just until the threat is over. Until Andrew, if that's what you call him, Selene, and the half breed."  
  
"Michael," Benjamin corrected. "Just to set it straight."  
  
Markus blinked. "Alright, Michael. So, Elders, I say that you just strip Andrew's powers and we'll take care of the rest. I know you can do 'that'" he said.  
  
Nikolas shook his head. "I wish it were so, Markus. We know why Andrew helped them, he feels connected with them. We cannot strip his powers, they aren't ours."  
  
"Bull---" Benjamin exclaimed. "You have the power to kill anyone with the snap of the fingers!"   
  
"I believe he is right," Markus said smoothly.  
  
Nikolas's shoulders dropped. "We can't, just like we can't take Vampyres' or Lycans' powers away. Andrew's half human!"  
  
Markus and Benjamin sat back. "Really?" Markus asked. "Than it'll be easy to kill him then."  
  
"No . . ." Nikolas said, getting annoyed. "His Annex blood cancels out weaknesses. Just like Michael's, his Lycan blood allows him to go into the sunlight. Andrew's blood is like that, Annexes cannot go into the sunlight either or go near silver, but Andrew is different. The only weakness he has that we have is the allergy to lead, just like humans. He cannot use his powers when it is near him and if it were in his bloodstream, it will kill him."  
  
Markus heard this as pleasing news. "Good, Kraven, get the Death Dealers on making lead bullets." Kraven pulled out his cell phone and excused himself from the meeting.  
  
Nikolas hung his head. "We will have the Aneks Warriors on this, we cannot have the only Day Walker of Annexes running around with them."  
  
"With much satisfaction, sir," Markus said.  
  
* * * Annex Mansion* * *  
  
Michael pulled the trigger he got a rush of andrenaline from it. The statue's head exploded in pieces of marble. Selene smiled with satisfaction. "Good, let's try this one." She gave him another type of a weapon, a larger one. Suddenly, the large door opened and Andrew walked out.  
  
"We have to go," he stated.  
  
"Why?" Selene asked.  
  
"The Annexes' knock off of the Death Dealers are trying to get in."  
  
"I thought it was protected," Michael argued.  
  
"With a spell, they're trying to break it. The meeting is over, the Elders have decided to join in." 


	6. Chapter Six

* * * Annex Mansion * * *  
  
Andrew looked around as explosions went off around the perimeter of his home. "Come on, I know somewhere we can go. Take the weapons you can, but we have to hurry."  
  
"Aren't you supposed to be some Super-Annex? Can't you fend them off?" Michael asked as he loaded the semiautomatic.   
  
Andrew's shoulders dropped. "If I wanted to destroy any leniency when I go for trial. The Vampyres that you stayed with aren't the only democratic coven, they'll suck any hope of survival if I touch one of the Warriors."  
  
Selene tugged on her jacket. "So you're telling me that you can kill any Vampyre or Lycan and not get in trouble but if you touch an Annex they'll kill you?"  
  
"That's exactly what I'm saying, the only reason they're here is because the Elders are afraid that if they say 'no' the two Covens will kill them," Andrew explained, extremely nervous. "Come on, come on."  
  
"Where are we going?" Michael asked as he slipped two guns in his coat pockets.   
  
Andrew walked to the old weapons and grabbed a large sword. "There's an Annex Sanctuary. We can have a meeting."  
  
"With whom?" Selene asked.   
  
"Not all Annexes are with the Elders in this matter. We can get some reinforcements. Some if any."  
  
"All right then, we're ready," Selene said.  
  
Andrew extended his hands, "hold on, it'll give you a little head rush but it'll pass."  
  
Michael and Selene grabbed his hands, suddenly, buildings and streets passed by and before they blinked the ride ended   
  
and they came to a stop. Michael looked around and saw ancient halls with hieroglyphics and stone thrones.   
  
Andrew let go of their hands and jumped to a high stairway close to the thrones. "If you can hear me, I need your help!" he shouted.   
  
Selene and Michael looked around the stone halls, suddenly, lights flashed and almost twenty men and women appeared   
  
in the halls staring at Selene and Michael.   
  
Andrew stepped in the center between the two. "I know you've heard about my heresy and I know you've heard about   
  
the Vampyre and Hybrid and that the Warriors have been hunting us. I . . . we need your help."  
  
The twenty-three Annexes kept staring at the three not looking like they were being bought. A voice spoke up from the   
  
left of them. "What about the Elders? What will they do to us if they catch us?" The questions was followed by a series of   
  
murmurs before Andrew spoke up.  
  
"The Elders don't have the power . . . we do!"   
  
"You mean you do, unlike the Vampyres and Lycans who have turned their back on their Hybrid. The Elders have   
  
embraced the monstrosity that you ARE!" a man yelled from the back.  
  
Selene and Michael looked at each other questioningly. 'Hybrid of what breeds?' Selene asked.  
  
Andrew dropped his head. "Listen, all of you. I know you've all been torn between the war for centuries, the war effected   
  
us too! The Elders ignored it, but we all know. This is our chance!"  
  
"By only getting caught in it?" A woman asked.  
  
"By ending it . . . we make our alliances with some Vampyres and Lycans and we can stop it," Andrew suggested. "Our   
  
whole immortal lives are based on protected Lycans and Vampyres, if we are to choose our charges, let's choose the   
  
best ones. Choose now, we don't have a lot of time."  
  
Selene counted nine that left the group of twenty-three leaving twelve. Five women and seven men. "Go get all your   
  
weapons and meet us here. No Warriors with killing intentions are allowed."  
  
"What if they break your spell?" a woman Annex asked.  
  
Andrew tossed her a gun. "Then they deserve to catch us, Natalia, Harrison, and Alex will stay here and help us secure   
  
the Sanctuary. The rest of you bring all the weapons you have."  
  
The nine other nodded and disappeared in bright light. Natalia, Harrison, and Alex disappeared in three different   
  
directions. Michael and Selene decided that no was the time to ask Andrew what the monstrosity part.  
  
Andrew read their minds. "I'm a Hybrid of human and Annex, explaining the powers that were born to me," he explained.   
  
Michael was dumbfounded. "Like me?"   
  
"Sort of, I didn't have to be bit by an Annex or human to get my full powers. Annex blood is not a virus like Vampyre or   
  
Lycan blood. I think the only reason I wasn't hunted for being a Hybrid was because they didn't want to repeat the same   
  
mistakes Viktor did . . . anyway, you two help me with the weapons lay them out on that table over there." He pointed at   
  
a table.  
  
Selene guessed that Andrew didn't want to go into the subject anymore than that she wished she knew more about   
  
Annexes the way she knew Vampyres and Lycans. Selene followed Michael to the table. 


	7. Chapter Seven

* * *  
  
The Annexes returned each with an armful of rifles, swords, crossbows, and some more things that neither Michael or Selene could recognize. They piled them on tables and laid them out in an organized manner, one Annex kept a table clear and laid out a map of the city. "Andrew," he called.  
  
He came out of a dark hallway. "What've you got?" he asked, standing next to the Annex.  
  
"I talked to a Lycan and he told me that the Death Dealers are working on lead bullets to destroy you. Nikolas hasn't found out about us yet."  
  
"Go on," Andrew instructed as Selene and Michael stood next to him.  
  
"I found out where Benjamin's den is and the Elders' new safehouse," he marked the spaces on the map with a red pen.   
  
"Good job," Andrew complimented. "Alright, everyone, we'll split up into three's . . . Selene," he turned to her. "Do you know where the Death Dealers will be."  
  
'Finally, something I know about' she thought. "If we resurface somewhere, they'll show up."   
  
"Good, we'll attack the Den first then move onto the Elders. Whether the Death Dealers will show up at the Benjamin's or Nikolas's place is the problem, either way the Warriors will be after us."  
  
"We'll be stripped of our powers for sure if we touch the Warriors," a woman stated.   
  
"If this goes as planned, I'll make sure that all Annexes actually own their powers."  
  
"I found out something else," the Annex with the map said. "It turns out that Kraven is still with Markus, as his advisor."  
  
Selene found this very hard to believe. "How?" she asked. "He would've been killed for his heresy."  
  
Andrew shook his head. "Everyone who knows about his heresy is either dead or unable to prove it."  
  
"And Markus," the Annex continued. "He's like Michael, a Hybrid. Somehow he ingested Lycan blood that reawakened him, he's been able to keep it a secret but my source saw him change and told me just now."  
  
"If he is than why is he trying to kill Michael?" another Annex spoke up.   
  
Andrew rubbed his chin. "Because if he didn't there'd probably be questioning of his motives," he explained and turned to Michael. "Be prepared to have a one-on-one fight with your ancestor, Michael."  
  
Michael nodded. "I'm ready."   
  
"Get to working on splitting up into teams and getting your weapons ready, we leave as soon as we can," Andrew instructed.  
  
Selene walked down the dark hallways, her arms crossed and breathing slowly.   
  
Michael grabbed her arm and pulled her into another hallway. "Are you sure you want to do this, Selene?" he asked, his eyes looking deep into hers. "We can runaway . . ."  
  
Selene's doe brown eyes looked at him sadly. "Micahel, don't you want to end this?"  
  
"Of course I do, but I don't like going to fight with all these Annexes knowing that some-if any will come back. It was so much easier to risk our own lives, wasn't it? Then risking all those people's lives?"  
  
Selene touched his cheek and nodded. "This is what they do . . . they risk their lives for people like us. I know it's not eay but we can't run, not this time."  
  
Michael nodded and their lips met in a kiss and Michael remembered that she was worth dying for just like they both were to the Annexes.  
  
* * *  
  
About twenty minutes later, the fifteen people of different kinds stood in the center with Andrew in the center. "Alright, we'll get through this. We just need to let go of our fear . . . I know most of you are not warriors, but just think about your charges and how they'll be saved when this war has ended. Michael, go ahead and change. You said that the Lycans backed off after you two killed Viktor, maybe you'll be able to do that again if things get too bad."  
  
Michael's eyes turned jet black and his skin changed to dark blue, his muscles began to get larger and his ribs got closer together and protruded through his T-shirt. No one seemed to be bothered by this, just amazed that he felt no pain.   
  
When Michael was to his true form, he growled with anticipation. "I'll meet you there. Selene and Michael are with me." They latched onto his hands and once again buildings rushed by. 


End file.
