Interlude 2: Power

Late evening rolled in as the sunset over the Blue-drake mansion, The heavy sounds of striking and shouting echoed from above, while deep in within the peaceful dark of her father's basement study Diana was laser-focused. to say the least, things had become greatly chaotic in the dark halls of the Blue-drake manor.

It was peaceful down in her Father's basement-dwelling, where she would study the many well-kept alchemical books and methods of mixology with the help of S.O.L, the Alchemically created intelligence that would guide her to success.

Didi carefully crushed the herbs in the black Nether-Mortar, which reduced the wolf's bane and Kale down into a thick paste.

She poured this in, along with the foul-smelling essence of Bull-frog into the great steaming cistern.

Carefully considering the directions within her father's 8000, Yes, 8000-page tome on Alchemical balms and potions with the small monocular attached, peering deeply at the ultra-fine print that was a greater challenge to read than it must have been to write.

The ingredients dissolved into a thick gloopy substance of Brown and green upon entering the cistern, and a dark smoke began to rise from its body. Diana clumsily scrambled to grab the leather Cistern-hood and placed it over the glowing lip, ceiling the crucible shut.

"Okay... that's the Pre-Solution done. S.O.L adjust cauldron temp to 100 Fahrenheit."

The lights flickered, and whispered through the walls, slipping to the grand bubbling cauldron at Diana's side.

"Cauldron 1, set to 100 degrees Fahrenheit," S.O.L responded

Diana shifted and took a deep breath, moving over to the bubbling cauldron and slipping on the thick heavy-duty leather gloves that sat neatly beside it.

"Okay, Alright. You got this." She mumbled to herself as her hands (protected from the high heat by the Thick leather gloves, inscribed with heavy runes) clutched each handle of the heavy cauldron, she grunted lifting its huge heavy iron body up. "Grrr, Jesus -- fucking --- heavy!" She groaned, waddling as quickly as she could, to dump the cauldron on the large alchemy station.

Huffing with delight, Diana grinned, she had gotten a lot stronger after training with Hilde and Rose.

The ceiling thumped, as a boom rung from upstairs. Upset dust scattered from above and Diana frowned, ignoring it... again.

Instead, she drew a long ladle of tattered iron and dipped it into the cauldron of bubbling magenta liquid.

Quickly removing the hood, Diana covered her nose and mouth as she poured in the contents, staggering back as it sizzled violently, a great pink cloud bursting free before being trapped again by the hood which Didi slammed down with gusto.

Huffing and wiping the sweat from her dark brow, Diana rubbed her belly "Ugh, this better work, Kiddo, or that's three weeks of prep down the drain." She approached the hood, where the Acceleration potion within rumbled, the process of Resurrection took place within the cistern, paired with the leather hood completed the crucible.

She had combined the ingredients, destroyed them and added the restorative... a mix of her blood, Hydrochloric acid, petroleum and of course... Diana grimaced, disliking the process of how she got that last one, there was nothing more uncomfortable than harvesting... the blood from her barely grown fetus, luckily Hilde had very steady hands... and a very very big needle.

"Alrighty, kiddo." She spoke hesitantly, lingering around the tall hood, her fingers refusing to fully grip the leather cap on its top. "...Here'a goes."

She had to bite the bullet, if this did what she thought it would, then her powers would become far greater than even her own potential could grasp.

It was with this thought in mind, that Diana lifted the cap and quickly darted towards the opening, carefully inhaling: once, twice, thrice, a fourth, fifth, Six, as seventh and finally for an eighth times before slamming the cap back on. a double hit on the **** for each soul she possessed, the Twelve youths, Her own... and her baby's.

She held her breath, the pink smoke felt strange inside, tingly despite it being odourless. After a few seconds, she bellowed out the remaining smoke and waited... and waited... and waited.

"Hmm, that wasn't so bad." She noted with a smile.

The ceiling shook violently again and Diana growled deeply "Oh for fuck's sake can't they juuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu"

Diana's mouth hung open, the gold of her sunlit eyes filling with black as she froze into place.

She twitched and quivered as her body began to hum with the growing energy within. the air trembled heavily with unrelenting power, resonating within her, changing, moulding. Her insides were a whirlwind while her skin burned with heat, the hairs stood on end, and as the air sparked, S.O.L's light flickered in response.

"Warning: Kinetic and Electronic overload in progress, personnel compromised. Power output at 100% 120% 140% 150%"

The world quivered and Diana, her mouth wide as her skin glowed red hot, tore herself back into reality, screaming as she flew to the ground and her body... began to slowly revert back to its normal heat.

Breathless and light-headed, Diana pushed herself up on her narrow fingers gasping and blinking as she tried to shake the unnatural buzzing feeling in her belly.

Did it... work?

Diana had toiled over that book for days, this was the king of all accelerant potions, it was like overdrive in a bottle, it was unimaginably potent that the fumes alone were enough to give a normal person a heart attack... but Didi was not a normal person, she was a homunculus, a being of multiple souls that generated insane amounts of life-energy.

She had the power of Seven, her 6 souls of those sacrificed to give her life... and the soul of her little one, growing in her womb.

Diana had to be strong, for her family, for Charlie who had lost his strength... for the memory and honour of her father; the Black star.

And so, she shifted, crossing her legs and sitting in quiet meditation.

"I can't just sit here for hours and do nothing!" Diana had once complained during her early training with Hilde, who shot forward, flicking her niece in the head. "OW!"

"There, maybe you'll learn to stop obeying that bloody thing all the time," Hilde growled.

"This 'bloody thing' got me through Law school and into court in 2 years, do you get that? I can't just switch off my thoughts."

Hilde smiled then, sat across from her niece as she reached out with a much gentler hand and poked Diana in her chest "This is what you need to start listening too, Kiddo." She whispered, cupping her face and smiling softly "You have always been different like that, too focused on thought when instinct is temperance that should govern our decisions, Your brother is the opposite, he reacts too naturally, but your dad was the same."

She folded her arms "Maybe because we are the same." The thought mildly bothered her, it had once kept her up at night... was she nothing more than her father's daughter?

But Hilde laughed at her niece then.

"Oh don't make me laugh, Roman was far more cocky and ignorant than you could ever be. You are sharper than he ever was, even more clever. When I set you a task you find your way, and you protect those close to you. That is what you should focus on, Kiddo, stop overthinking things, a war is not won with a single battle, but with the entire campaign. Think less with your head, and more with your heart."

The idea was ridiculous. How the hell was she supposed to think with her heart?

The Answer seemed to come all on its own, naturally and slowly. Diana while before was restless and frantic... now she sat in a gentle ponderance, Didi wasn't usually one to keep her thoughts situated, she needed rapid-fire, here it is, here's the plan, here you go... but that isn't was this was.

Nevermore.

Pictures like the clicking lenses of an old projector began to frame each piece in her mind, Hilde and her subtle encouragement vs her brutality, at first it frightened Diana just like Hilde likely did others, Charlie had never been afraid of Hilde, the two were like peas in a pod, both equally intense and funny and overly emotional, but Hilde had proven that initial judgement as wrong, everything that Didi thought she knew about her crazy, quirky fortune-telling aunt who travelled the country and drank a little too much in front of her young niece and nephew.

Roman Drake, her dad... she loved him, she always had but, that didn't make it any harder to gain his approval. The man was rarely volatile with her, mainly because the thought of disappointing him had taken her to unimaginable lengths... but the way he would treat Charlie sometimes... it would bring him to tears and then her to tears, not that she was ever humble enough to show it. But Roman Drake was gone... and it would be an eternity before she ever got to ask him, why? why he treated Charlie the way he did, soulless or not, Diana still couldn't quite understand.

It was odd... her eyes were closed as her mind glowed with surplus thought, but something about the room felt off. it was suddenly awfully warm, where she had S.O.L keep her room cold like her and her little one liked.

The gentle sound of soothing waves and bubbling waters filled her ears, as Her skin began to feel oddly damp.

The realisation filled her violently, and she went to stir as she realised that she was underwater, the weight of the sea around her pressing in as she went to open her eyes.

A hand... gentle and warm as the sun covered her eyes ever so gently. A presence tall and reassuring crouched at her back and protected her from drowning.

"Do not open your eyes."

"Ah..."

Diana froze as she heard the voice... that deep, oaky tone that had taught her how to read, how to write, that had coached her in the gym, that had warmly reasured her in one of his rare moments before she headed out to law school.

"It can't be you... I'm... I'm losing my mind."

"Do not get up. Don't move and do not open your eyes. You shouldn't be here."

"Stop, just... just stop talking. This cannot be real... D-" She paused, hesitating to even speak the word, but sucked up and whispered "Dad?..." there was no response not at first. "This isn't possible... this isn't real."

"Hmmf. Who are we to say?"

The hand released gently from her eyes as the dark warmth radiated from beside her, the audible sound of it sitting beside her.

"Bullshit, this is some kind of trick. My dad is dead, he has been dead for nearly a year. I won't listen to whatever you are."

"Listen to whatever you want, Dee. just keep your eyes closed."

Tears fell from her closed eyelids and floated into the above, there was only one person who ever called her that, no other being on this earth had ever referred to her by that name, she grasped her knees and tucked in and held in her sob.

"You can't be here... Valerica killed you. You're gone."

"We are Descendants, Girl. I was born of blood and ****, just like we all are, and blood and **** is where I will remain... I could have been killed a thousand years ago, but I would always exist here."

"...C-Can... I See you?"

"Do not. Open. Your eyes. if you see this place, really see it, then you can never escape it again, not in the world of the living, and definitely not of the dead. If you look into this abyss, then it will not hesitate to look back; at you, and... at your child."

"...How did I get here? is it like another dimension? Dad what is this place?" She had far too many questions, Diana was in shock.

"You got here the same way Charlie got here... You pulled it towards you, it is connected to both of you, and so diving within the depths of this place is as natural as drawing breath. This, is the root of demise, the heart of immortality; this is the Red Sea, the domain of the blood god. From where the Curse of undeath draws its power."

"So, this is like another dimension? the Vampire dimension?"

"Not exactly, if I tried to explain it all, then we'd be here for eternity. Just know that this is Cain's place, with Cain's rules, it is the heart of its power and so is the heart of all Undeath, it is the chain that links all Vampires together, it is where they draw their power from; their blood runes, blood magic, every droplet of blood they drink, ends up here, every bite an unknowing sacrifice to their god. It cannot find you, Dee, I protected you from its gaze, refused to give it another child to take interest in. If it finds you... or your child here. then you will be doomed, nearly as badly as Chip is."

"Daddy I'm so lost without you. Charlie has forgotten everything, Remhilde has been getting more and more spiteful... I'm responsible for an entire clan... and this baby. You taught me to be quick, to always think ahead, but I'm lost, without you, without Charlie, I cannot do this alone."

"Words cannot begin to describe... how stupid you are, girl. Your mother and I fought tooth, blood and nail to bring you into this world, We sacrificed everything we had for you, built everything we had for you. You are firstborn, not the heir but treated with even higher respect. You need to chill the fuck out for one, and for two... You are a part of me, you are my heart, my muscle, my mind, my soul, Your mother's gaze has never left your brother, but I am with you always. Your brother had every reason to despise the both of us, but he still finds love, that I feel through you, even in ****. Elizabeta found no greater pain than separating from you, and Hilde, as astray as she has always been, will always protect you and cherish you as she would have her own Talia. All of this doubt, all of these nerves are not the way of the jury, You need to be calm, you need to have control, but first and foremost, You need to realise that you are the only person on this planet, who can never be alone, because I am you, and you are me, and one is all we'll ever be. Because you are and always have been loved."

A warmth and relief like no other filled her then like the weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Diana felt lost without her father, a piece of him was torn away and left a hole that could never be filled; Until now.

She wiped her eyes "I never thought I needed your pompous little talks." She sniffed "I miss you, so much."

Arms, powerful and warm wrapped around her, and Diana cried into his shoulder, a kid again in that moment.

"I'm proud of you, beyond all things, I am proud of you. I could not show my love for you, soulless as I was. But in ****, I will always adore the woman you have become."

"Please don't go... I can feel you slipping."

"The tide must always move, it cannot remain for long. But I am not going anywhere."

He touched her belly.

"As long as You..... and this baby breathes................ then I will be here for you...... forever."

The voice began to slip away, and Diana quickly opened her eyes, **** to see her dad, just once more. But all she saw were hard walls, glowing with the light of S.O.L.

"Inhabitant active. Inquiry: Diana are you well? is help required?"

S.O.L asked in her robotic voice.

Diana merely smiled, and touched her belly, as tears fell down her face "No... I had all the help I need." She whispered, smiling softly to herself. Thankful to have heard her father's guiding words, and to finally understand what all the fuss with meditation was about.

The ceiling violently shook, as screaming voices boomed from above. Disturbing Diana's moment of quiet joy.

Where she was angry before, Didi patiently stood and took a breath.

"Chill the fuck out, You're never alone." She reminded herself, before walking over to the corner, where she threw off her jacket, leaving her only in her dark tank top and loose cargo trousers and heavy combat boots. She pulled the hair tie from her monochrome hair, allowing the long jet-black locks to relax on her shoulders as she smiled to herself "S.O.L: go into standby for me?"

"Command Confirmed, standby initiated. Goodbye Diana."

Marching up the stairs in sure feet, Diana had never felt so energized in her life. Her heart thumped in her chest as she walked above and yet a serine kind of calm overwhelmed her, a sure feeling that protected her from her usual habit of overanalysis.

Pushing through the heavy door and locked it quickly behind her. Blue-Drake mansion shook violently, the light flickering as vibrations shocked at the air.

Marching as fast as her powerful legs would take her, towards the main hall, where she and her family used to dine.

In the meantime it had been converted for use of the clan, much like the Mansion itself... the things Rudy had done in these walls would have been outside the realm of reality to Diana months ago, but now... come on Diana, no overthinking, they'd been at it for hours now and the Chaos that had accumulated under her nose would be dealt with tonight.

Didi lingered outside of the huge double doors for a moment, taking a deep breath as heavy clangs and bashing ringed out on the otherside, voices crying out in mumbling ruin. "Chill the fuck out, You are never alone." with one last reminder, Diana pushed through the double doors

Cries immediately slammed into her ears as Diana entered the scene. Many of the Nox had gathered in this hall, with gnashing teeth and eyes that glowed like burning coals, yelling and roaring out in argument among one another.

At the heart of this ravenous accumulation, was none other than her beloved aunt the Black Rabbit, smashing her fist into the face of one of the crowd as she stood in silent wrath.

The one she had hit, shot through the air like a javelin, his spine embedding in one of the interior walls.

Hilde radiated power, wearing her midnight mask of black and her long blowing cloak, inscribed with the word: DESTROY

"Satisfied yet? How many of you filthy little bugs am I gonna have to squash, before you learn your lesson." She spoke in but a whisper, the whisper of one who held **** in their hands.

"Who the hell do you think you are!?" Belle marched forward, her face long and pale, jaws wide with ire "Just coming in here and stirring up trouble! NOT EVEN NEARLY FUCKING FABULOUS."

Remhilde the Black rabbit, Bane of Vampire-kind, laughed shrewdly and darkly, the air beginning to spark with her overwhelming power "If I ask where my Niece is, then I expect punctuality and respect. something that Your ilk lacks in droves."

"That gives no you right!" Moonie spat back, much more calm, but twice as fiercely "You are nothing but a monster, the harrowing that is supposed to scare us into starving ourselves at night? if you think us mindless killers then You're nothing but an ancient cliche, yourself! Charlie trusted us, we have been made welcome"

The Nox stepped back instinctually as Hilde reached out a hand threateningly, the entire room rocking with her bloodthirst, the chandeliers began to quiver as overdrive shot sparks into the air. Her cape bellowing violently, Hilde condemned them all to doom with her eyes like twin suns.

"As I breathe, the only welcome that Your kind shall receive in the house of Drake is the cold beckoning to the gates of Hades."

The Vampires collectively shivered, like a wolf backed into a corner, readying themselves for battle as Diana saw her aunt's eyes widely open... oh no.

A word echoed in the hall, booming like the flash of lightning.

OVERDRIVE

Diana snapped into the air, whizzing between the Noxium who's brows creased as she slithered past them, swifter than the wind.

As Diana appeared directly in front of her aunt, who continued to blaze with fury, she nearly came off-balance, taken off guard by the absolute speed of her movements, as Her body crackled with immense energy and strength.

Hilde paused, tilting her head as the room recoiled at the rumbling thunder of Diana's Aura.

"What?... where?" Hilde muttered.

"Me, Here." Diana answered, angry wrinkles forming on her face as her half/half white/black hair began to stand on end "What did I say Hilde? What did we talk about like Two days ago? I mean what the hell are you doing?" She seethed.

The Black Rabbit stepped closer and whispered so low that Diana had to pivot her head to catch the words "Step out of my way, Girl. I will suffer these fools no longer, I don't care what Charlie's plans are, these Leeches deserve no place here."

She stunk like a brewery on fire.

"That isn't for you to decide, Hilde." Dee spoke softly "Please, just stand down, this can be settled with words, there is no need for bloodshed."

"Bloodshed?" Remhilde huffing and tense, tore off her mask revealing her red and frustrated face... she had that blank, cold look in her eye, the one that left only destruction in its wake. "These beasts are responsible for the **** of my child-"

"Hilde the Nox had nothing to do with-"

"My child!" She roared, making Diana flinch. The Rabbit seemed to notice her actions, but clearly could not let go of her rage, and so walked over to Huginn who stood on guard. "You, You think I don't remember you and that stupid little sister of yours?"

Hughie held up his hands "I don't-"

"Do not lie to me." Hilde growled, she stunk like a brewery and she smelt of smoke, not the fire kind "I do not forget faces, especially not when there are two of them."

"Hey!" Moonie snapped, marching between Hilde and her brother, meeting the much taller, much stronger Remhilde eye to eye "Leave him out of this."

"Do you deny it, little Crow? I was there when Corvus sold out my baby to the fucking Moores, you were there, so was he, so was that black-haired little wimp over there." Her clawed fingers shot out at Cleo who remained quietly vexed as she sat, quietly playing chess with Velka in the corner.

"We all just need to calm down." Diana did not want any more conflict, it was needless and meaningless, why couldn't they just remain civil? Was being without Charlie not enough on their plate already? Rubbing her tired eyes, Diana slowly lowered her guard allowing overdrive to slowly fizzle out; Remhilde did not follow in this. "How did any of this start anyway?" She cast her eyes around and all she saw were **** and guilty faces in the vast crowd.

Muninn eventually hummed out a squeak "She came in here, demanding to know where you were and -- I... It was supposed to be a gift, I thought, maybe she'd appreciate this..." The pretty blonde, reached into the largest pocket of her loose Blue hoodie and revealed a small, patchwork doll, fluffy and white with ugly stitches running in an X through each of its black marble eyes, its big floppy ears falling over each side of its raggedy face, the left one smaller than the other.

Hilde averted her eyes.

"I do remember, I a-a-ttsss tsss. *Ahem* I remember You and the Black-Star, and while You were no such thing, He was exceptionally kind... I thought that maybe you had a bit of that kindness too, and we all see how miserable you look so... *Sigh* I may be a 'Bloodsucking leech' but my memory is impeccable, I tried my best to make it as authentic as possible." Muninn the Raven answered, softly and kindly.

A flood of revelation split through Diana's dam of idiocy, how could she be so stupid? why didn't she realise before. That Rabbit... she didn't have to guess who the original used to belong to, Remhildes face warped with grief as she pointed to the blonde.

"My daughter is dead, you absolute filth. How dare you offer me that, when you were not innocent in regards to her ****." Her silver gauntlets traced the room threateningly, she grew redder and redder and stronger and stronger the more she riled herself up "None of you are, none! and if I must suffer your insults to her memory for another moment, I will burn this place to the ground if I have to!" She roared, her arms wide and ready to attack, as angry tears streamed down her face.

The Noxium rallied beside one another, diligently watching, preparing for what would likely be a fruitless battle against a far superior foe; one built to cull Four-score of their current number.

Diana stepped between them again and gestured for the others to keep back "None of you do anything alright, just keep back." she smiled at them as she looked back "Chill the fuck out, you are never alone."

"Diana-"

"Go Moonie, All of you. If you trust me at all, if you respect your master, then You will not interfere." She shouted to all behind her.

Hilde shambled a little an abyssal look in her blank eyes "I'm warning you, Diana."

"Then keep warning. You're drunk and you're high again, Remhilde, You need to stop all of this self-destruction, please I'm begging you, I love you." Diana pleaded.

But Hilde was deaf and blind as she became lost in her bloodthirsty haze "You? You love me? You are nothing! do you understand? Do you think that You can just walk in here and try and pull at my heartstrings when they tore them out years before you were even born? My daughter should be stood where you stand now, my husband, My brother. But instead, I get you, a great big fake. Move out of my way, Diana."

The words cut into Diana like Lughs flaming blade, it hurt her deep, but she buried this, Hilde was not herself.

"No." Diana growled.

Hilde raised an eyebrow, as her body steamed with energy, body rippling with muscle as she continued to bleed pure power. "Move. Now." She demanded.

There was nothing more to be said, but one-word "Overdrive." Once again, Diana exploded with power, the crackling bolts of crimson dancing across her red-hot and steaming skin, as she opened her mouth wide, flashing her ivory teeth and clenching her eyes shut... bit down hard on her own tongue.

Iron filled her mouth as the blood trickled from her lips "Mhaya."

The droplets that bled from her tongue congealed mid-air, rapidly moulding and expanding, hardening into a gleaming silver which she snatched from the air; Ymir the Hammer of Dawn.

Diana felt the cut on her tongue zizzle as it immediately regenerated. The Nox began to filter out of the room, although a few spectators remained. "You said it to my face, Hilde, Vampires deserve to live just as much as humans do. Stop this."

But Hilde was gone, it was only the Black Rabbit that raised her bladed talons with cold, hazy, unfeeling eyes. "I taught Your Father the idiocy of getting in my way, this is where the Cycle of destruction begins once again."

Diana did not stir, but whispered: "The Cycle ends here."

And so it began, but not as expected. Hilde of course broke out into the air, flashing towards Diana with her arms swept back, ready to cleave her niece in twain.

But Diana felt no panic, only a world of calm and peace, as she felt her father's hand rest on her shoulder.

"Chill the fuck out, You are not alone."

It was as if he and she were one at that moment, and with him at her back, she felt truly invincible.

"Communion."

The Claws of Artemis slashed downward but cut into nothing but air. Diana was quick as the wind and calm as still water, even as she slid Ymir under Hilde's legs. The Rabbit was well practised, however, and lept with inhuman agility, slashing out with her bladed shins to slice at Diana's side.

"She is infinitely weaker than she was when she fought me, Dee, Her respiratory system is long compromised, if you can wind her hard enough, then the threat will be neutralised."

Ymir clanged and sparks flew as the blades of Artemis were reflected in a perfect parry. Diana stabbed her heel forward, rooting herself directly within Hilde's space and with a growl thrust her body forward... she was off by only a centimetre, but the crunch of bone against her forehead was evidence enough that she had met her mark well enough.

"I have to be aggressive, my defence isn't great enough to just defend myself -- I'll end up a limbless Nugget. Match her speed, close the space between us, Fight fire with fire."

Hilde flew backwards from the ****, her feet leaving the ground as a volcano of blood erupted from her shattered nostrils, cutting off a good part of her airway.

Diana blinked rubbing her forehead as she felt the limitless energy that flowed through her, overwhelming every inch of her being with clarity, her heart boomed in her chest and her blood burned as it ran through her veins. _"I... I hit her?" _She had never landed a real blow on the Legendary black rabbit, but with her baby inside of her, Diana felt like she could crush armies.

We will not fall, we will be victorious, no matter the cost

"We'll do more than that."

Remhilde paused as she wiped the blood from her lips and peered at it in shock, a deep smile of blood drunk malice crossing her face, as she silently raised her claws, red staining her crazed grin, as heavy toiled breaths began to wheeze from the cracks in her white teeth.

The rabbit shot back at Dawn with a cold fury, but the Young descendant's power rose like the morning sun, she zipped and clashed in a symphony of ****, sparks flashed in the air, and all was a blur.

Hilde was lost, Diana didn't know what to do but protect herself and her baby... but as a taloned hand went to slash at Didi's face, she smashed it away with the hammer and bashed the pommel down hard into her Aunt's kneecap.

A white-hot pain shot up clambered across Didi's forearm, flesh torn by silver blades which spiralled from shoulder to wrist as the Rabbit was **** back. The two stood back, Hilde huffing, ignoring the crack in her knee, Diana gritting her teeth and refusing to look at the shredded tendons in her ruined arm.

A harsh hiss left Diana's lips, the pain was unbearable, it screamed and clawed at her senses, overwhelming her concentration. It was like Hilde couldn't see any other world where she wasn't killing, fighting or hunting, she must have been in unimaginable amounts of pain but stood on a broken knee as if it were nothing, ready once again to rush her niece with **** prejudice.

"She feels nothing because she can see nothing else but this, all her life she has been slashed, broken, fixed and broken again, her key is focus-beyond-pain, and beyond disruption. If you want to beat Hilde, then you must focus on everything but your pain, find a core and hold unto it for dear life, even if it is the smallest thing you can think of.

Blood leaked from Diana's arm like a fountain, she felt heavy and tired as it dripped through the floorboards and a symphony of hissing sounded below (doubtlessly the Nox swarming towards her blood which now dripped through the ceiling....) through the floor..... which would have soaked the ceiling... WHICH WOULD HAVE SOAKED HER MOTHER'S CARPET IN THE LOUNGE, AND POTENTIALLY HER FATHERS CHAIR!?

Diana wasn't sentimental about much in this world, she was practical to the bone, but she would lay on that carpet as a girl for hours, reading her mother's books that she had left behind... and of course, her father's chair had a history of its own.

With bloodshot golden eyes, Diana scowled deeply at her aunt as the Black rabbit flew forward ready to spear her arm directly through Diana's chest.

The Pain was inconsequential to her irritation and wrath then, so much so that she flexed her mangled arm and with all of her might reached out, tightening her numb fingers around Hilde's wrist.

The sharp silver was cold, a frosty cold that slithered through her veins, Diana and Hilde's eyes both widened then, as an explosion of cold filled the Young descendant's body. A flash of brilliant white blinded them both and Diana grunted as a hard, metallic feeling overcame her arm, she peered down at her fingers.

The mangled flesh had repaired... but where one would see soft pink skin, instead was an iridescent metallic surface, hard but somehow flexible as she twirled her silver fingers in confusion.

Hilde blinked, seemingly lost as to what she was looking at.

Diana however, had her father's voice on her side.

"*Ahem* you have the golden goose."

The undistractable... was distracted. and so Diana thought that she might test out just how metallic her arm now was.

Drawing back her shining fist, she sunk it deep into Hilde's stomach, making her aunt spit blood as her ribs cracked, the boom of the blow sending her momentarily off of her feet as she clutched her chest, unable to take in a breath.

Diana rushed to her aunt, grasping her as she quivered, trying and failing to fill her lungs with air. "Shhh, it's alright, it's okay, just relax. Here." Reaching down to her belt, Didi pulled free a long swallow potion that she kept for emergencies, uncorking it and placing it between Hilde's lips.

Her aunt looked at her stubbornly.

"Drink the fucking potion Hilde, or I'll hit you again in somewhere much much worse, trust me, Pops showed me the perfect place." Didi threatened.

Remhilde grasped the potion and gulped down the entire thing between her thick crimson lips.

"That's what I thought," Diana said, watching as Hilde gasped for air, her bones slowly cracking back into place.

A deep breath revitalized Diana, it allowed her to calm slightly, critically examining the silver that had coated her skin... although, with a knock and a hard ding, she found that it was not a coating, but as if the flesh and bone were actually made of malleable silver "What the fuck is this?" She wondered aloud "Ah!" with a zap the shiny consistency flooded back into pink, soft skin. Diana watched with wonder as the crimson bolts flashed out of existence "Oh my god, oh my god I absorbed the silver... Biological transmutation. THE ACCELERANT WORKED!? do you know what this means?"

"Y-Your... a weirdo?" Hilde hissed

"No! well... maybe, but it means I can absorb and assimilate external materials, take on their qualities. Nicolas Flamel was the greatest alchemist ever to exist and He could only ever get it to work with inanimate objects, but I did the studying and it seems that my DNA is so unstable that I can trick it into mimicking external materials; living tissue with the qualities of Iron, silver, gold... maybe after some training more complex elements, like Fire or electricity! That's so fucking cool!!" Diana laughed like an excited cheerleader, she hadn't studied this hard for something only to succeed since Law School, it was what she lived for.

"D-Diana? are you... alive?" Moonies small voice echoed from the doorway, opened a crack so that nervous stormy grey eyes could peek sheepishly from the otherside.

"Yeah, yeah I'm alive... heh." Diana looked down at her hands, and touched her belly "We're alive."

"Seriously?"

Bodies flooded back into the room, quick as lightning, appearing one after the other. Huginn crouched by Hilde as she nursed her stomach.

"What are you looking at? Leech?" She wheezed.

"The legendary black rabbit eating shit." He chuckled. The other Undead pooled in many smiling subtly... and not so subtly at the Rabbit, although Huginn seemed warmer than the others. "Hey, you know I always thought you were pretty badass, the way they described you in the legends, a big bad boogey woman, the way you wiped out the Trillion clan in a single night, crazy shit. When I first saw you, I knew the legends were true, dark and imposing... I mean you've literally got the words 'destroy' in bold letters on ya back, but now-"

"When I heal I will kill you for your insult--" But Hilde was cut off by Huginns warm smile.

"That isn't what you are though is it... not really" He spoke softly.

Hilde sneered as she struggled to sit up, her insides rocked badly by Diana's fist of Silver.

"I don't understand... none of us do. You must have met the worst of us, but You know that we aren't evil, not anymore, Charlie... Charlie changed us, You must see that?" Muninn agreed.

"You're a Monster just like us, you do not have to be a single-pringle ya know," Huginn spoke nonchalantly as he always did, although he was not mocking, if anything he was sort of warm.

"Are you out of your empty little minds!?" Cleo zipped in like a bat out of hell, pressing an accusing finger into Moonie's side "You're trying to buddy-buddy up with the Chuck Norris of all Vampire slayers!? You really are a pair of dipshits."

"Dipshits or not, Cleo. That is my aunt you are talking about..." Diana fixed the gothic beauty with a hard stare, marching over to ensure that she could see the seriousness in her eyes "I am sick and tired of all of this bickering, we may be divided, you have been delegated your places just as planned, but that does not mean that we need to be snapping and cursing one another at every opportunity you get. I am done with Hilde's hostility, and I am really done with yours." Didi looked at all who attended, and they felt her resolve, felt her newfound power.

"Yes! exactly! jeez, what is wrong with you guys?" Belle agreed passionately, waving her arms like an angry Pizzeria owner "The Word of the Master is absolute. That is it, the end. If living for 100 years makes you forget that, then what exactly have you learned at this point? Not being fabulous that's pretty clear."

"Agreed." Namina nodded, looking up momentarily from her phone, clearly distracted.

"Look at the twisted little things, arguing in debate. You ask... ugh... why I don't trust you, why I need to fight you. Because no matter how hard you all try, you are innately selfish, you care for nothing apart from domination and stuffing your gobs full of the blood of the innocent, tearing apart lives and leaving nothing but bones behind - My nephew and Niece might be fooled, but I have seen worse monsters than Vampires go back on their word, if Charlie hadn't enabled you to kill then you would have tried to betray him for a second time already by now... I can suffer the Moonborne, even those walking pile of tinder and their pompous tendencies, flying around with the boulder-sized chips in their shoulders. But, not you, never you." Hilde growled, trying and failing to pick herself up.

Huginn seemed to be listening very intently, his iris dark and grey as the eye of a storm watched her, as one of his schemes boiled in his mind. Moonie of course noticed, grimacing at whatever foolish plan he had now.

But all locked into place, watching with open mouths, as Huginn moved down and carefully; tenderly, gripped Hilde's silver gauntlets.

He hissed, clearly harshly offended as his skin began to burn, but he pushed on; Hilde watching in confusion as He carefully helped her on one knee, his skin sizzling like hot tar as He carefully placed the Black Rabbit on her feet.

"Hughie!" Moonie spoke, going to stop him, but Diana held out an arm, stopping her in her tracks.

Remhilde the Black Rabbit grunted, her eyes locked on Huginn as He made sure that she wouldn't topple over "T-There... ow... fuck that burns." He said, holding back red watery eyes as He nursed his blackened hands, Moonie rushed to her brother.

Hilde stared but said nothing, her eyes of gold observing the burns on his hands and the small smile on his face "We are different, Rabbit, we aren't like the Moores or anyone else. And... I'm sorry about your daughter if I or any of us could have done anything-Anything at all... then--"

"Shut up." Hilde shook her head, averting her eyes from the other Nox who parted for her, as she marched away, shaking, afraid and clearly very confused.

Diana smiled deeply and turned to Hughie. Moving in close, She took the Raven's hand, dark with char and blackened painfully, rubbing his singed fingers carefully "Why don't we get a balm for this, eh?" She said cheerily.

Huginn nodded and returned that grin as Moonie moved in by his side, sharing his gratitude "Aight."

"Hey, I didn't get blood on my dad's chair right?"

"...Namina and Belle licked it up before it could..."

"Of... Of course they did." Diana merely chuckled, taking them both arm in arm, and leading them down to her father's study, where she would heal Hughie's wounds.