Jest.

Five years.
Halvar Colby had been lying on a cold slab in an Ox Corp testing facility for five long years. He was dead. There was no refuting that. His heart didn't beat. His lungs didn't inflate, and he had no identifiable brainwave activity.
Nevertheless, Ox Corp did not dispose of his body. He was much too valuable to them, and even now, they were no closer to determining what he was than they were the day they had hauled his dead body from the burning woodland.
It didn't take the scientists long to discover that he wasn't decomposing. Unchanged by the marching of time.
And that was not the only thing that confused them beyond measure. The scientists were endlessly testing him, at times mutilating him past recognition, but he would always heal. Of course, the severity of the injury dictated how long the healing process would take, though eventually, Halvar would completely regenerate.

Nothing changed. No matter the stimuli, Halvar was gone.
Over time Ox Corp based studies around him, turning him into a cash machine as he became a global sensation. Scientists would pay to spend time with him, but no one could crack the code. He was lost, and it did not matter what they did. He would not wake. Loki had his soul, and there was no returning it; Until now.

Halvar's death should have been the beginning. The Valkyries swooped to welcome him home, and the Viking had gone with them willingly. Sadly, Loki had another destination in mind. His son was becoming too much of a nuisance, and Loki desired punishment for his insolence. Halvar's death gave him the perfect opportunity. He could think of no better retribution for his vibrant and excitable son than locking him in the blackness alone. He trapped the man with nothing but his thoughts and left him there, comprehending that Halvar would drive himself to madness.
Loki had every intention of leaving his son there. However, he had overlooked the man's son.
Odin had forbidden Loki from harming a hair on the boy's head, and Loki had honored his command; for now.
The boy was going to be an issue. Loki could feel his power growing with each passing day. He was intimidated by that, remembering the name Halvar had once given the boy. God Slayer.
Loki could not let this stand. Not when the boy was influenced by a deranged yet powerful vampire.
He had to put a stop to this. And he needed to wake his son. After all, Loki had pledged to Odin that he would not lay a hand on the boy. He never promised anyone else wouldn't.

"He's going to kill her!" Loki whispered into the darkness. His voice shook the walls of Halvar's black prison, twisting inside the man's head like poisonous barbed hooks. "You must stop him. Only you can," he hissed, discerning a growing awareness coming to the catatonic mind. "That's it, wake up. She is running out of time. You must hasten."

Halvar had been alone for such a long time. His mind played every trick on him during that period. But this was different. Images of Hope blinked across the Viking's sightless eyes, and he could see the truth in Loki's words. A fair-haired figure was attacking her. It was so real that Halvar dared to move from his curled position for the first time in years. His body cracked like a marble statue as his arm stretched out, reaching for his lover's image. "Hope?" his voice though a hoarse whisper boomed through the depths of his silence, jolting energy through him.
Every nerve ending in his body blazed into life, the pain crippling him as a startled cry shook him free of his prison.

"This can't be happening!" were the first sounds Halvar would hear when his soul reconnected with his body. "Does anyone else see that?" Another voice called beside his head when a cold hand pressed against his expanding chest. Halvar's pale lips parted, and he inhaled for the first time in five years. It hurt, and he moaned, causing mass hysteria all around him.
More hands pressed against him, and someone pulled up his eyelids, shining a searing light into them.
He lashed out, his right hand shooting up as it wrapped around the softness of someone's throat with enough force to crush the windpipe with a squelch. The female lab technician died before blood burst from her mouth, splattering Halvar's bare chest.
Screams assaulted his senses. And his eyes shot open unassisted for the first time. A pristine white room swayed into his sight as he dropped the dead woman without care.
A shrill alarm blasted the room, quickening Halvar's body as uneasiness crossed his muddled features. "Where am I?" he questioned, though his words went unanswered. Aggressive-looking soldiers replaced the fleeing medical personnel, and Halvar looked at them with further confusion. He was not in Valhalla, nor was he in Helheim.

"He's going to kill her!" The trickster whispered once more, and understanding filled Halvar's hardening expression.
He swung heavy legs from the bed. And he groaned as his feet slammed into the hardness of the laboratory floor.
The soldiers were shouting at him, but he didn't hear them. He did not care too. He wanted to get to Hope. That was all that mattered.
"Leave me be, you cretinous creatures!" he barked, finding them no more than an aggravation as he pressed his hands against the bed to lift himself onto weak legs.

"Don't shoot him. He's worth more than this lab!" A man shouted from behind the soldiers as their weapons lifted to point at him. "Shoot me?" Halvar questioned, but why? He had only just woken up. That's when his memory of the woodland attack returned to him. His eyes darkened and narrowed to dangerous slits as he looked at the mass of humans attentively.
"You!" he accused them, struggling closer. Anger twisted him, but Loki's voice whispered again, and Halvar knew that these soldiers were the least of his concerns.
"I will deal with you later," he warned. He turned then, looking for a way out. "Let me free, now," there was no escape. "I'm warning you."

H O P E . D E A T H - R E I G N - M A T A S H I N A Vampire || Wraith Profile ​ --- Meanwhile in the Black Expanse --- " Nik! Pay Attention. " Hope scolded as her vines wrapped around his ankle and pulled him off his feet and onto his back. Nik was winded, and she saw a flash of annoyance cross his face before it softened. Hope's eyebrow raised slightly. It was about time he got angry. Her son was charming, funny, charismatic, everything she wasn't, and it was going to kill him one day. He couldn't charm his way out of every situation, and she wanted him to find that out at her hands rather than Ox Corps. " I am. " he retorted as he got back on his feet and brushed himself off, taking the time to fix his hair. Hope sighed; he wasn't getting it. " Really? " she asked, and a moment later, he felt a tap on his shoulder as she stood behind him. He turned, and Hope grabbed his throat and lifted him off the floor. His eyes grew wide, shocked at how far his mother was taking it. " If I were anyone else, you would be dead already, Nik. " she reiterated as she dropped him to the ground before he was in any real danger of suffocating. " God, Mum... Hope, relax. " Nik managed through gasping breaths. His gaze was weary now; good, right now, she was his enemy, and he needed to start behaving that way. " No, Nik, your enemies won't relax, and neither can you. " Hope spoke as she took a couple of steps toward her son; he began to take a couple of steps back. " Good, you're getting the idea," she stated as a vine whipped from her arm towards Nik, but this time, he reacted, grabbing the vine and trying to pull it from her but only causing her to take a step forward. " You know they don't work like that, Nik. " Hope chastised, only to see a grin on her son's face. " Oh, I know, " he retorted as he pulled the vine and twisted with all the force he could muster. Hope was thrown forward and slid across the blackened ground, kicking black dust into the air. She came to a stop as her vines extended as far as they could, and she jolted forward as she came to a halt. " Don't underestimate your opponent and find a way to use their strengths, not just their weaknesses, to your advantage. " Nik shouted proudly, repeating words that his mother had ingrained in him. Hope pressed her hands into the Earth and got back on her feet. " Good. " Hope stated, the closest thing to praise Nik had probably ever known. But this lesson was far from over. Hope was only warming Nik up. " Now, no shifting; come at me, and Nik, don't hold back. " Hope said as she waited for him to make the first move. She watched the uncertainty etch across his face, and any pride she had was gone. " Nikolai! Hesitate, and you die; people you love will die. " Hope yelled furiously. " This is not a game, not for us and especially not for you! " Nik looked angry and confused. " What does that even mean, Mum? " Nik demanded answers from Hope, but she was like talking a furious wall. Hope rolled her eyes as she moved at speed, knocking Nik to the ground and pinning him. " It means you lost the opportunity to throw the first punch. " Hope watched as speckles of gold appeared in Nik's eyes, and his fangs protruded from his lips, matching his own mother's fury. Finally, her son decided to turn up. Hope braced herself as she had done this enough times to know what happened next. Stronger than before, Nik took his hand and threw them over his head, forcing Hope forward, and the blow from the boot into her stomach shocked even her. He was getting stronger every day, and although she thought that would comfort her, it only made her worry about how long she had before he began to catch the attention of Hal's family. She hit the ground hard, her head hitting an old stomp. She gasped in pain as she felt the blood trickling down her head and neck. It made her head spin as she noticed Nik's figure moving toward her. She wasn't mad, only at herself for not avoiding the stump. She had pushed Nik to this and asked for it, but she knew she just had to buy some time till he didn't have the energy to keep it up any longer. She wouldn't make the mistake of letting him bite her again; she learnt that the hard way. Nik lunged toward her, and Hope threw herself to the side, avoiding him as she rolled, putting space between her and her son. " You're getting predictable, Nik... " Hope spat a mouthful of blood onto the ground that was spinning; yeah, she had definitely fractured her skull. Nik got himself up faster than before and, this time didn't hesitate; at least he was learning from his mistakes, but that was not working to her advantage right now. Hope went to dodge, but Nik anticipated it this time, and they collided, and this time, he had her pinned down. " Whose getting predictable now, Hope? " Nik asked as Hope struggled but then saw a familiar glint in his eye and a smile cross his face. He had been playing her this whole time. She had gotten predictable " Say uncle. " he demanded, laughing, and for a brief moment, she smirked. Word Count: 952

They did not take his warning, and Halvar's patience was running out. He puffed a heavily irritated breath as his still-cloudy eyes drank in the details of the room. The soldiers outnumbered him, as did their weapons. Usually, he would have enjoyed the odds, but he wasn't feeling himself. He felt weak, almost human. He scowled, moving his palm to press it against his chest, carefully inspecting it.
Autumnal eyes dropped to examine his flesh. There was a large number of raw incisions reddened his skin, all stitched except one which spanned the width of his right hip. The cut was deep, and blood freely ran from it, as shown by the footprints he'd left around the laboratory. "You morbid creatures," he lamented, ignoring the wound for the moment to step closer to the huddling men.

A gun's barrel pressed to his shoulder, "I don't suppose you would let me walk out, hm?" he nearly smiled, knowing the answer long before he asked the question. "It would make it much easier for everyone."
The soldier replied by pushing the gun further into tender flesh, shouting frightened warnings at him, "I gave you a chance," Halvar smirked, eyes darting to the surveillance cameras. "I gave them a chance," he shrugged, turning his gaze back to the men.
Gold speckles illuminated his otherwise muted eyes as a look of strain crossed the beastly man's face, "What trickery is this?" he cursed, feeling depleted. Halvar did not know how long had passed, and his frailty irritated him, yet he would not allow it to stop him, not when his lover was in such danger.

Time was up. Halvar's body reacted quickly, his shoulder barreling through the men with such speed and force that he knocked them into the hallway like skittles to a bowling ball. Heavy limbs struggled over the humans, stepping over them hurriedly as he tripped into the passageway, wincing as his side grazed the wall, smudging his blood along until he straightened his back. He gained pace with his steps improving the more he moved his disused muscles, and before long, he saw the light of day beaming through a floor-length window.
He could hear the sound of approaching feet giving chase as the soldiers recovered, and he knew what he had to do. They were not giving him a choice.
Gunshots tolled as Halvar lowered his shoulder, throwing himself side-long into the glass.

He fell ungracefully from the second-story window, a spray of blood trailing in the air behind him from a combination of bullet strike to the back and glass wounds to his shoulder. Broad arms lifted to shield his head as he thumped against the roof of a coffee stand, his bulk obliterating it before rolling to a stop beside a screaming coffee vendor.
Halvar lay with the sense knocked from him, the screaming vendor bringing him back as copper eyes parted to see the sky. "Oh, good," he groaned gruffly as he rolled onto his front. He was glad to be outside, yet he could not afford complacency.
He climbed up and again called forth his power, golden rings bursting through the darkness of his eyes to ring his irises. That small exertion alone was exhausting, and the man stumbled, grasping a nearby bike rack for equilibrium.

"He's going to kill her. You must hasten!" Loki hissed, his voice cruel inside Halvar's lowered head.
"Since when do you care?" The Viking snapped back as anger swirled in the pit of his stomach, "I'm trying," he growled, frustration crumpling his brows as he tried to summon the strength to shift.
"I can't!" he shouted, exasperated as his knees met the floor in exhaustion. "Help me, father," gasped words fell from his lips, the horror of his words making him grimace. Never had he asked Loki for help. Never in his wildest dreams would he imagine beseeching anything from him, but desperation bloomed like a thorny rose in his heart, and he knew he had no choice. "You must help me!"

The laughter that followed was cruel, and Halvar drooped, feeling all hope leak from him, running away with the crimson blood that formed puddled beneath him.
Unseen, a cloud formed above the facility, darkening swiftly with an angry charge. Static crackled the air until a plume of fog descended from the cloud. It coiled through the sky, taking the shape of a dark serpent. Electricity crackled through the monstrous formation, illuminating sharpened fangs.
Halvar turned his head to the skies and gasped at the shocking sight. "By the Gods!"
Without a second to react, Halvar yelled as the creature descended to crash against him, the fangs tearing through the flesh of his neck, the beast coiling around him, injecting its energy directly into Halvar's bloodstream.

Halvar's startled scream transformed into a roar as the energy burst from the man in bright white light, obliterating the snake into steam.
Renewed, Halvar stood, Gold eyes shining brightly within his sockets as he shifted, smoke concealing him before a huge black raven burst into the sky.
Instinct directed the animal as he soared through the air, heavy wing beats driving him towards Hope.
The Blackwoods were no more. And beady little eyes scanned the scarred land in search of his lover.
He felt pulled towards her, and it did not take him long to locate her.

"No!" He shouted, already transformed into his humanoid form as he barreled through the air. The fair-haired man stood over her, ready to strike, and Halvar could smell Hope's blood. He needed no further explanation. "Yes, that's it. Kill him!" Loki hissed in his ear. Halvar fell against the man, his shoulder slamming against the boy's back, crushing him into the floor without mercy.
He crouched, following the boy to the ground, his large hands twisting his stunned body onto its back.
Anger blazed his gaze, blinding him to the true identity of the boy. All Halvar saw was someone harming the woman he loved. He killed for much less. He slid a hand to the boy's throat, constricting it, while the other held him pinned to the ground. The boy would be dead in seconds, and soon Halvar would be reunited with his long-lost love.

N I K O L A I . D E A T H - R E I G N - M A T A S H I N A Dhampir || Shapeshifter Profile ​ Nik kneeled triumphantly over his mother as she struggled to escape his grip. Although he was concerned, he could smell her blood; it wouldn't be the last time either of them drew the other's blood. It was a fucked up mother-son dynamic, sure, but somehow it worked for them. It was really the only time his mother showed any kind of emotion was in a good fight. He could see his mother didn't want what happened to her to happen to him. In her own bizarre way, this was her caring; she wanted him to be strong to protect everyone he and she secretly cared about. Still, fracturing her skull was probably taking it a bit too far, yet his Mum seemed almost proud he had managed to do it. In fact, as he held her down, he could have sworn she was smiling. But his mother didn't smile; she didn't laugh; she was stone cold. His smile grew wider as he believed he was seeing her smirk for the first time in her life. Unfortunately, that momently joy would be violently interrupted by some oversized mammoth falling from the sky. Nik had time to look up over his shoulder to see the blur coming towards him. His eyes grew wide, and he instinctively crouched over his mother to protect her as she shouted his name. The next few moments were a blur of pain and bones crunching. Nik knew he had taken the brunt of the impact, and his legs went numb as his back and ribcage were on fire. He thought his mother had packed a punch, but now he realised how much she had held back. He had never felt pain like this in his life. Nik's vision was blurry, but he focused on the stranger's eyes as his large hand wrapped around his throat and began squeezing. '  Wow, this dude really was dumb ', Nik smirked beneath the man's grip, only infuriating him more as he tried to kill him. Nik had the sense to slow his heartbeat down, meaning he needed less oxygen and bought himself and his mother some time. " B..ig......mis.....take ", Nik managed to spit out as he waited for the inevitable demise of this man, his mother. Word Count: 377

H O P E . D E A T H - R E I G N - M A T A S H I N A Vampire || Wraith Profile ​ Nik was clearly proud of himself, as he had bested her for the first time. She should have been mad that he had fractured her skull and was now demanding she says uncle, but oddly she wasn't. She was impressed. He used his head, and instead of acting impulsively, he bested her. Maybe this is what it was to be a mother, to be happy for your child's accomplishments even if you failed. It was strange, but Hope was oddly proud, and it must have registered on her face as Nik looked at her beamed. ' Great ', she thought to herself. ' he'll be insufferable now. ' Before Hope could humble him, a noise caught her attention; she looked past Nik's shoulder and saw something falling towards them. Nik bent over her, protecting her from the impact as she tried to move and twist him under her, but she was too slow. " Nik " she shouted as her worse fears were happening before her eyes. They had come for Nik, but they would have to get through her cold dead body first. She got to her feet and could hear Nik's heartbeat slowing. ' That's it, son, play dead... ' she thought as her son warned his attacker about the mistake he had made. He was about to find out. Hope could have used her vines, but this was personal now, and Hope was about to get her hands very, very dirty. She propelled herself forward and collided with the large man, releasing his grip on her son as she put as much distance between him and her son as possible. They fumbled together, but oddly, the man didn't try to fight her as she kept her eye on Nik; he was in pain, which only made her blood boil. " I'm going to kill you, you fucking... " Hope straddled the man and prepared to rip his throat out when she finally made eye contact with a set of eyes that couldn't possibly be staring back at her. " Hal... " Hope said, stunned as she stared in disbelief. This couldn't be true; she had seen him die, and he had been dead for five years. Hope practically jumped off of him as she stared at him wide-eyed, her heart and mind fighting over what to believe. " No... you're dead... " Hope said, taking some steps away from him. This had to be Loki's doing; there was no other explanation. Loki was a shapeshifter; clearly, he had taken Hal's form, thinking it would catch her off guard. ' It's fucking working ', she told herself as her eyes changed while she spoke. " Nice try, Loki, but I'm not so easily fool... " That soul, she would know that soul anywhere; it was identical to Hal's, and as far as Hope knew, Loki couldn't warp his soul to look like another. " It's you.... is it really you? " Hope asked shock and disbelief written all over her face as she tried to understand how he was here. Word Count: 512

Shifting took a staggering amount of energy from the Viking, but his fury made up for that. He depressed the man's throat, curling his fingers around the fleshy part of his windpipe as he saw a smirk on the critter's lips. He defiantly threatened Halvar and was rewarded by a sharp twist to his shoulder, Halvar separating the bones there to create a maximum amount of pain. "Yes, it was," he growled back. He tightened his fingers, feeling the boy's body yielding beneath him and was about to tear his throat out when someone struck him from the side.

He was tackled away from the boy and rotated in his attacker's grasp. His arm lifted, muscles poised to strike when all at once he realized who was attacking him. He froze in his confusion, his eyes widening. The shock was so great that the man did not try to shield himself.
They landed hard on the terrain, sliding a few feet until they came to rest with Halvar on his back, Hope straddling above him.
"What are you doing?" he was confused, convinced the fair-haired man was trying to kill her. The only conclusion he could come to was that she thought Halvar was also there to cause her harm.
She spoke his name, bewilderment in her eyes as she examined his gaunt appearance. "Yes, Hal," he nodded his head against the earth. His face imitated her confused look. What on earth was going on? Surely she should recognise him. The Viking had no idea how much time had passed.

Hope jumped from him in a graceful movement, his rust eyes following her as she blurted out in confusion, "Yes, I was dead," he replied calmly. It was not exactly the first time. He couldn't fathom why she looked so shocked by it all.
He reached a tired arm out to her, hoping she would take it, but accusations left her lips. "Loki? I am not Loki!" He scoffed, insulted by the comparison, but his annoyance was quickly quelled as she recognised the truth.
"Yes, it is me," he nodded, slowly propping himself onto his elbows while he tried to look around her, concerned her attacker would rise. Though he was confident he had broken the man's spine and a lot more.
"I came back for you. Is that such a shock?"
This was not the welcome he had been hoping for, yet he was happy. Hope was no longer in immediate danger.

The gold bled from his eyes as he relaxed back to the floor, his elbows giving way as he let his fatigue win for a moment. The pain returned then, tightening his eyes as he felt the now open incisions sting in the night air. But he was grateful.
"Thank you," he sighed into the air, thanking his father for the borrowed energy. Hope was saved with Loki's help, and Halvar let himself chuckle gently against the ground, his head turning to he could look at his lover again. "I am glad to see you, Hope," he smiled. The last time he saw her was in these very woods, but the circumstances were very different. He was glad to know his sacrifice to save her wasn't in vain.

N I K O L A I . D E A T H - R E I G N - M A T A S H I N A Dhampir || Shapeshifter Profile ​ ' Any minute now...' he thought as he waited for his mother to unleash all hell. But panic seeped into his chest as the man's grip on his throat tightened. He wasn't trying to choke him, he was going to rip his throat out, and Nik was pretty sure he would bleed out before he could heal that kind of injury. But as if almost snapping him in half wasn't enough, the barbarian tried to pull him to limb, at least as his arm was separated from his shoulder. The man's hand blocked the cry of pain, but it was written all over his face as he stared into the man's eyes. Thankfully, his mother avenged him as the man was thrown off him. Nik took a deep painful breath, and his heart started picking up pace again as it pumped blood around his body to heal him. He tried to breathe through the pain while he waited for his mother to tear the guy apart. But the screams never came, no bone-crunching, no nothing. Nik painfully turned his head to try to see what was happening, and to his shock, his mother wasn't even attempting to murder the guy. Nik tried to listen through the pounding of his pulse in his ears. ' Hal, who the fuck is Hal? " he wondered as he listened to the man speak. He had a strange accent that Nik couldn't place, but he obviously knew his mother. [i]' I came back for you ' [i] He came back for her? Back from the dead? Who was this guy? Nik wondered as the pain intensified. Whoever he was, he had done more damage to him in a few seconds than Nik had felt in five years, and suddenly, his mother's lessons didn't seem so drastic anymore. His mother kept his distance from the man, and Nik couldn't see her face, but her voice was different. She was clearly in shock, but Nik could feel his heart racing and his head spinning. He was going into literal shock. " Hope.... " he called out, trying to obey her rules, but it didn't seem to register with her. ' Fuck it. ' he thought; if his Mum did know this maniac, he was bound to find out who Nik really was anyway. " Mum! " he shouted, trying to lift his head and instantly regretting that decision as his head fell back as he tried to stop himself from passing out. Word Count: 416

H O P E . D E A T H - R E I G N - M A T A S H I N A Vampire || Wraith Profile ​ "I came back for you. Is that such a shock?" He came back for her? Why? Why now? None of this made sense as Hope stared at him, trying to comprehend what was happening. " Hal, you... you died... you fucking died! " There was an anger in her voice that she hadn't anticipated. She had grieved this man for five years while she single handily raised their son alone. For him to decide to fall back into her life now and attack their son? What was he thinking? But as Hope watched him, she realised he had no idea who Nik was as he watched him with suspicion. She had forgotten what an idiot this big oaf could be. Still, as he lay there, smiling up at her and saying he was happy to see her, it was hard to stay mad at him. Sighing, Hope tried to regain some of her composure. She tried to wipe the shock from her face as she stepped toward Hal. She was still weary of some kind of trick but offered her hand to Hal to help him up off the ground where she had planted him. " You have a lot of explaining to do," she told him as he got to his feet. He obviously wasn't at full strength, and she could smell his blood which made her fangs ache in a way they hadn't in years. She looked closer at the wounds, which looked almost medical, clean, precise and deep. Fury flashed on her face. " Who did this to you? " she asked, but she didn't have time to hear his answer when Nik shouted Mum at her. She turned her head and left Hal's side in an instant. " Nik! " she said as she noticed him drifting into unconsciousness. " It's ok, baby, I got you," she said as she took his head and placed it on her lap. She tore into her wrist, leaving a wide gaping wound which her blood pumped from. " Nik, drink," she ordered, but Nik tried to refuse, but Hope wasn't taking no for an answer. " Nik, so help me; I will kill you myself if you don't start feeding now! " Hope forced her wrist against his mouth, and he submitted between that and her tone of voice. Hope winced as he dug his fangs into her open wound. She stroked his hair, holding him close as she looked up at Hal. " Hal, I don't know who you think this is, but I swear to every God you know, if you lay another finger on him, I will kill you myself, and you won't come back from it," she warned, not knowing why Hal chose to attack Nik in the first place, but she wasn't going to let it happen a second time. The colour was slowly draining from Hope's face, but there were no signs of her stopping Nik from feeding yet. She didn't know if he had yet put two and two together, but she was about to spell it out for him. " Hal , this is Nik, Nikolai. My son...our son. " The words felt foreign on her tongue, she hadn't had to share him with anyone other than Mori, but now Hal was here, and he wasn't just hers anymore. She began to feel weak, knowing she had reached the limit she could give. Her head was still bleeding because she was donating so much blood to Nik, but Nik was half-human, so she wasn't taking any chances. " Nik enough," she said, but he wasn't slowing down. Of course, he wasn't; he had never fed from a vein before. Hope sighed, took her free hand and pressed on his gums till he flinched and his fangs retracted back into his jaw. " Don't move yet. Let the blood work," Hope told him as she watched the blood slowly return to his face. She looked relieved as she applied pressure to her open wrist, and she looked up at Hal as he processed what she had said, and she could see he regretted what he had done. " He'll be fine, trust me, he's going to find this whole thing frustratingly hilarious, and he'll never let you live it down. He got your sense of humour," she muttered, needing to outstretch her arm for support as her head spun. She hadn't lost this much blood in years, and she now realised she had lost some of the stamina she had a few years ago. Still, her focus was on Nik and Hal and what was unfolding. She never thought she would ever see Hal again, and she certainly never expected to be having this conversation with him. But it still didn't make sense; how did he not know who Nik was? Maybe he couldn't keep track of them in Valhalla, a fact which only disappointed Hope; Hal had missed everything. Word Count: 828

"Yes, yes. I was dead," Halvar repeated, unphased by the entire thing. It was not the first time for him. Nor was it the first time Hope witnessed him die. He was perplexed, not understanding her shock at such an event. Halvar's mind strayed back to his dark and empty prison, and he tried to reflect on how much time had passed there, though incomprehensible. The passing of time meant nothing in his tormented solitude. It could have been minutes. It could have been centuries.
Her movement distracted him and He watched her from his grounded position, enjoying her. She was as beautiful as ever, even confused.
Her hand reached for him, and Halvar took it, using her strength to aid him onto his feet. His smile faltered while he accepted the pain that radiated irritatingly through his torso, yet he recovered quickly enough, his mind far too occupied with his bewildered lover.

He wanted to embrace her, his revived gaze trailing along her body as she did the same to him. Their intents were entirely different. Proven when she issued angry words of concern. His eyes left her then, flickering to the most painful wound that still dribbled blood. He sighed, unsure of his answer. Of course, he suspected Ox Corporation, but he was still confused by several factors, Loki's involvement being one of them.
"Oh, those. It doesn't ma-"
Halvar had almost forgotten about the boy when his voice rose, the word 'Mum' ringing from his fading lips. "That can not be," Halvar spluttered, feeling accusatory confusion.
Did Hope have another child? If so, why did she hide that from him?
Questions buzzed through his mind, but he did not ask them, concern immediately making them seem irrelevant. Rust-colored eyes widened, turning to the fallen boy with alarm. Hope rushed to him, confirming their relationship when she cradled the boy's head. Soft words fell from her lips, sounding foreign from her, and he knew then. The boy was Hope's son.

Halvar debated moving closer but decided to remain in place. The boy was gravely injured because of his actions, and Halvar did not want to risk a defensive reaction from his mother.
"Loki, you fiend," he growled, feeling betrayed as he contemplated his terrible error. "Hope, How is this possible?" he asked, but she did not hear him. Instead, she replied with a meaningful threat. "I will not harm him again. There has been some misunderstanding!" He held his hands up but kept grounded to the spot. "This is Loki's doing!"

Hope continued to cradle the boy, feeding him in the same intimate way, when she spoke words that knocked the breath out of Halvar's lungs, leaving him momentarily slack-jawed.
" Hal , this is Nik, Nikolai. My son...our son. "
He couldn't be. Hope was pregnant, newly so. Halvar looked at the pair, his eyes scanning the boy's face with a keener eye as he moved closer with slow steps.
"How can that be?" a gasping breath left him. "You were with child only..." How long had it been? Halvar felt suddenly unsteady, fearing the truth in Hope's words.

He barely heard a word from Hope's mouth from that moment onwards. He locked his eyes on the fair-haired boy. Every step drew him closer to them. The closer he got, the more he felt compelled toward him. He could sense the boy's energy now, and his own sang for it. "Impossible," but he knew the truth. It hit him like a strike from Thor's hammer, and he stumbled the last two steps, his knees bringing him to the ground beside the pair.
He wanted to touch the boy. And he lifted his hand, but fear stopped him, and his eyes moved to Hope with a vulnerability she would not have seen from him before. "I do not understand," he moved his hand to her then, pressing it against her stomach to search for the life within, a gold glow surrounding his touch. There was nothing there.
"No, this can't be," a single tear drizzled to dampen his cheek when his eyes darted back to the injured boy, his hand moving from her to hover over Nik with the same golden glow. "By the Gods...," he did not wait for permission now, pressing his hand to the side of the boy's face with a gentle touch, concern betraying his face. "I'm sorry. I didn't know!"

N I K O L A I . D E A T H - R E I G N - M A T A S H I N A Dhampir || Shapeshifter Profile ​ Nik soared through the air, his wings slicing through the wind as his beady eyes observed the ground below. He felt so lightweight, it almost felt like he was falling instead of flying, but he enjoyed this strange sensation. He flew over what should have been the Black expanse, but to his surprise, the woods had sprouted overnight. A lush green canopy covered the once-blackened ground beneath, and the old Oak tree was nowhere to be seen. He then thought of the family crypt and decided to swoop down to investigate. Surely his mother couldn't object to that if we stayed in his hawk form. Breaking through the canopy, there was no sign of the ashen ground. None of it made any sense, but he focused on ensuring the crypt was undisturbed. He perched on a large branch and tilted his head at the area where the crypt was. His mother had done a good job of camouflaging to a human eye, but an immortal would see it if they knew where to look. It looked like it hadn't been opened in some time, but to Nik's surprise, the ground began rising as the entrance opened. He expected his mother or Mori to emerge, but to his shock, a stranger emerged, and they were staring straight at him. The tree beneath his claws began cracking, and Nik expected the branch to break, but instead, it began wrapping around him. Nik had no time to react as he was no longer in hawk form and suddenly human, but he hadn't actively shifted. The trees began to wither and die as their limbs wrapped around his wrists and ankles. The strange man's laugh echoed throughout the woods as Niks limbs burned and the trees slowly pulled. " Mum! " he shouted, which only amused the man more. " Mum! " but she was nowhere to be found as his skin tore and bleed seeped onto the ground. " Guddreper ", the man mocked, " Jeg vil fortære deg. " he laughed as he stood beneath him, enjoying Niks agony and the shower of blood. As his blood hit the ground, it soaked into the soil, and the green foliage, blackened as the Black Woods returned to its former glory. Nik screamed as his agony seemed to go on for an eternity, and the laughing intensified until he heard the sound of his own body tearing into pieces, and then there was blackness. Nik's teal eyes shot open as his fangs retracted back into his gums, and he gasped for a breath. His mother loomed over him, and his desperate, terrified eyes found comfort in hers. " Mum?! " he said, confused and dazed as she strangely tried to comfort him, but he was grateful for this odd softness. He tried to take a couple of breaths to calm himself when a hint of gold caught his eye. He turned away from his mother, and his memory quickly returned as he stared at his now-crying attacker. Nik stretched his arm across his mother as he tried to push himself back along the ground with his feet. " Get back," he warned, but his mother ushered him to relax, and he stared at her confused as she promised an explanation. Word Count: 546

H O P E . D E A T H - R E I G N - M A T A S H I N A Vampire || Wraith Profile ​ There was nothing that Hope could say or do but watch as Hal tried to process the fact that he had just attempted to kill his own son. Loki's name was mentioned, and suddenly Hope's fears were realised. She had managed to avoid God's eye for the last five years, but Loki was making it perfectly clear that Nik was on his radar. Hope made a mental note to do more research on the God because she was going to find a way to make him pay for what he had done to her son and for the torment he was now putting Hal through. Hal slowly approached them, and Hope couldn't help but feel protective of Nik. Hal was still clearly grappling with the reality of the situation, and she wasn't sure that he fully believed her or that this wasn't another trick. Still, she watched Hal stare at their son and couldn't understand how he couldn't see the resemblance. He may have had her eyes, but every time she looked at Nik, she saw a younger version of Hal staring back at her. He fell to his knees, looking almost defeated as he stared at her, looking broken. If Hope's heart wasn't already broken, it would have broken at that moment. " Hal... " she said, not knowing what to say when he said he didn't understand. He placed his glowing hand against her stomach, and she tried not to melt into the heat of his palm. She'd forgotten how warm his touch was, but now wasn't the time for reminiscing. A tear ran down his face and onto Nik as Hal finally accepted the truth in what she said. Her defences relaxed as he apologised, his face guilt-ridden, which only made Hope want to murder Loki more. " I know, he'll understand, but we need to get him to the clinic; you both look like you need it. " Hope suggested not so much concerned about the family reunion as she was about both of them living long enough to get to know each other. As Hope reached into her back pocket to pull out her phone, Nik's eyes shot open as she gasped back to consciousness. He looks terrified. " Hey, you're ok. " Hope reassured him as she grabbed his shoulders, keeping him in place. " You're safe; I'm here. Slow your breathing. " Hope encouraged as his heart beat faster than she ever heard it. Something wasn't right, but he had just been almost killed; still, she had never seen him like this. His heart rate began to slow, and he started to relax until he spotted Hal at his side. Despite almost dying, he still put himself in front of her to protect her and tried to push them away from him. " Nik, stop! " Hope said in her usual stern tone that made Nik stop in his tracks. " Relax, it's ok. " Hope said as she placed his arm back at his side. He looked at her wanting answers. " I'll explain everything. " Hope sighed, resigned to the fact that there was no way of getting Nik out of these woods without making some introductions first. " Nik, remember I told you about your father, Halver? " Hope asked, and Nik nodded hesitantly. Admittedly, Hope had been scarce on the details, not wanting to divulge Nik's godly lineage. " Well, this is him; he's your dad. " Nik's eyes widened as he looked away to stare at Hal. Hope waited, trying to anticipate what Nik would do. Hal had just tried to kill him, so she wasn't sure how he would feel about that. It was already a lot to take in, and she hadn't even told him about Loki yet. " You know, there are easier ways to get out of child support. " Nik finally spoke, breaking the tension in the air as he chuckled, much to his throats' protests. His laugh became a cough and a hiss of pain. " Jesus, Nik, can you take anything seriously? " Hope said, exasperated but relieved for Hals sake. She suspected he needed the levity. " Glad to see you're well enough to joke; now get up. " Hope spoke, sounding like she was scolding him as she nudged his head off her lap and slowly got to her feet. She had definitely given Nik too much, but she didn't regret it as he got to his feet faster than she thought he would. It really was amazing how quickly he bounced back sometimes. Hope was still nursing a fractured skull, a growing headache and blood loss. ' The things we do... ' she thought as the vines squeezed her arms again, only to go unnoticed once again by Hope. " You good? " she asked Hal, not knowing how he would cope with all of this, especially not knowing what had happened to him before today. They all had a lot of catching up to do. Word Count: 838

Hope mentioned understanding, and Halvar nodded, knowing it would not be easy. He didn't understand. So, how could he expect the boy too?
"The Clinic?" He questioned, never having heard of such a place. She didn't answer him and removed a phone from her pocket. His heavy brow only furrowed deeper as more confusing elements came into play. He wanted to go back to sleep and find out this was all some dream Loki was weaving to drive him further into insanity. The last thing Halvar remembered beside his darkened cage was the battle of The Blackwoods. He should have gone to Valhalla in death. But he did not, and time meant nothing in the black expanse.

His eyes moved back to the boy as he startled back into consciousness with a gasp. Animation returned to his young features, and Halvar was fraught with emotion. He saw much of himself in the boy. He also saw a lot of similarities between Nik and his other long-departed sons.
Nik moved to protect his mother instinctually by positioning himself in harm's way, and Halvar could not help but smile through his sadness. He was a brave boy, and Halvar felt a blooming pride for the child he never knew.

Hope clarified their situation to the young man. He responded with a shocked expression, much like Halvar's minutes before. Though, Halvar chose silence in the moments that followed. His first impression of his son would forever haunt the Viking, and he did not want to make it worse.
The boy shocked them both by cracking a joke that Halvar did not understand, yet his laugh was universal until it turned into a cough, and Halvar found himself laughing lightly in relief. Hope wasn't one for laughter, and Halvar again saw some of himself reflected.

He felt a strange mixture of emotions. He felt happy to learn that Hope and their son were alive and well. Yet that happiness was stained by the confusion and sadness he felt.
Halvar rose onto his feet as Hope did, his eyes fixated on Nik until he was stable.
Everything still felt surreal after being in the darkness for a long time, and Halvar felt his mind wander back there. Maybe the whole thing was a dream. He wasn't sure. But it felt real, and Halvar decided he would believe it.
Hope's voice stirred his mind, and the Viking nodded out of habit, though his words did not lie. "I am unsure," he muttered, looking her over.
"Why are you hurt?" he inquired, his eyes shifting to their son with a hint of suspicion. Nik was standing over his mother when Halvar arrived, yet he had protected her or at least tried to when he woke up. The situations contradicted themselves and added to his confusion.

She was hurt. Halvar felt angry with himself for not acting sooner. His shock was blinding him, and he felt suddenly frustrated. "I'm sorry, forgive me. I should have healed you by now," he huffed, lifting his hand to Hope without pausing for her permission. He pressed it against the cold skin beneath her neck, nestling his palm against the curve of her collarbone with his fingers splayed out.
"Stay still," he ignored any argument from her and let his hand warm, the golden glow returning to it as he pushed energy down into her stilled heart.
"Come to me," he held out his other hand to their son, "Now," his voice held a command within its softness. He wasn't sure if Nik would listen and was gladly surprised when he did. "Thank you," he sighed, already feeling some fatigue. He stood between them, bowing his head against any strain, as his hand searched Nik's bare skin and wrapped around his forearm, the same golden glow seeping from his palm into the boy. "Stay still. You will feel much better soon."

N I K O L A I . D E A T H - R E I G N - M A T A S H I N A Dhampir || Shapeshifter Profile ​ It wasn't until his mother nudged him that Nik realised his head was on her lap. Being this close to his mother was rather strange, as intimacy had never been her forte. The closest she had come was stroking his head when he was younger, but she hadn't done that in some time. He even remembered his time as a baby, and she sometimes barely held him. He didn't mind; she barely touched anyone or let anyone touch her, so he didn't take it personally. But seeing this man who was supposed to be his father, it suddenly dawned on him that his mother was capable of some intimacy. Nik rose to his feet, feeling surprisingly good, considering he had almost died. His mother, however, looked terrible. He was aware that .. Al? Hal! Hal was watching him as he moved. He seemed as surprised as he was, but that didn't make much sense. He knew his mother had told him that his father knew she was expecting when she died; perhaps he wasn't expecting an almost complete grown man a mere five years later? Still, it was clear that his and his father's concern was for Hope, who would no doubt shun it. He watched the interactions between Hal and Hope... Hopal? Halpe? He and Mori could come up with a ' couple name' later; right now, he had to deal with Hal's suspicious gaze on him. " Hey, she's the one who told me not to hold back. " Nik said innocently but feeling guilty. " If I knew my dead Dad would drop out of the sky and try to kill me, I would have gone easy. " Nik chuckled. He was a strange blend of Hope's brutal honesty and Halvar's humour, although he had yet to see that for himself. Then in probably the balliest move, Nik had ever seen, Hal placed his hand on his mother's neck like it was the most natural thing in the world. Maybe it was once upon a time for them, but it was foreign to Nik. His mother looked as surprised and went to argue, but she didn't seem to fight it as a golden glow came from Hal's hand. " Hey... " Nik said, having never seen that glow come from anyone but himself. Now he knew where he got it from as he watched the colour return to his mother's face. Did she look almost... serene? Peaceful? He knew that's what that look was; it somehow looked wrong on his mother. It was like the first time he had seen her relaxed in five years. ' Who is this guy?' Nik thought as he held a hand out and demanded he comes to him. Nik raised an eyebrow, almost mimicking his mother. The guy was around for ten minutes, and Hal was ordering him around. He wasn't sure how to feel about it, but he looked at his Mum, and she nodded, looking visibly better. He didn't take his hand, but he did move toward him, and his hand found the top of his arm. A push of heat into his body made Nik's blood hum. He had never used this ability to do anything but amplify his power; he had no idea it could heal and feel like this. His own power reacted, his teal eyes turning ultimately gold as all the teal disappeared. He could feel his power moving through him, reaching his palms. His blood felt like it was vibrating inside him as his mothers' blood and Hal's power poured into him. The energy reached his hands, and they began to glow like his father's, only the brightness was growing in intensity, as was his power. Nik had no idea that he had this kind of power within him. But it was intoxicating. Word Count: 639

H O P E . D E A T H - R E I G N - M A T A S H I N A Vampire || Wraith Profile ​ Hope wanted nothing more than a large blood bag and an even larger drink to nurse her headache. She wondered how her mother would feel if she drained a patient in the waiting room but remembered that she was supposed to be keeping a low profile, and no doubt someone would have a camera phone. She wished Saints wasn't so far away from the woods as the drive back would be agonizing long, and now Hal was there, tempting as ever, making her fangs ache and despite his brush with death, Nik was being as insufferable as ever. " Nikolai! " Hope scolded, glaring at him as he spoke of Hal trying to kill him. " I'm fine, Hal. Just some training that got out of hand. " Hope tried to explain. She didn't think he would understand and she didn't explain further. Hope was hard on both Mori and Nik. She never treated them with kids' gloves because their enemies never would. Hope wanted to be their hardest opponent, and she had caused them far more damage than they ever caused her. Unfortunately, as they grew stronger, it got harder for Hopee to come out of these sessions unscathed, but that was how it should be, at least that's what she told herself as she touched the back of her head with her hand as she tried to assess the damage. She wiped her bloody hand and wrist off her clothes as Hal offered to heal her. She immediately went to refuse his blood. He wasn't at full strength, and he had just resurrected. She didn't need him dying again and disappearing for another five years. " No Hal, I'll be fine.. " the words left her lips as Hal placed his warm hand on her neck, sending shivers down her body. Memories of them together in the crypt and the woods started returning to her after years of trying to forget them. He told her to stay still, and she would have protested, but she knew he would ignore her; he needed to do this as much as she needed it. The glow emanated from his hand, seeped into her skin, through her muscles, and warmed her bones. It wasn't quite the same as having his blood which made her feel like an inferno blazing; it was more like being completely submerged in the warmest bath that penetrated you to your bones. She couldn't help that her muscles relaxed with the heat, her jaw loosened, and for just the fleetest moment, she seemed content beneath his hand. Her hand reached up to grab his, not entirely of her doing as the vines in her arm reacted to his power. On her wrist remained a trilogy knot of vines that had appeared when she was pregnant with Nik and had remained ever since. It almost matched the one Nik had, except his was a birthmark. He called to Nik, who seemed hesitant to join them, looking to her for guidance. One of these days, he would have to start making decisions for himself, but on this occasion, she nodded. He needed a reason to trust Hal after the first impression he made. He didn't take his hand, but she wasn't surprised, Nik could be as stubborn as she was, but he was more trusting. He stood beside his father, and Hope stared momentarily before diverting her eyes. She never thought she'd see them standing side by side together like that, and somewhere beneath that cold exterior, her emotions were hitting her like tidal waves. She enjoyed the sensation but couldn't help but keep an eye on Hal. She didn't want him exhausting himself. However, her concern soon moved to Nik as he began glowing all over, not just in his eyes. " Nikolai... " Hope said tentatively, alarm in her voice. " Nik! " Hope said firmer and louder, but the glow moved through him, and his teal eyes disappeared. " Not again... " she muttered as she grabbed Hal's hand and moved closer to him. " Hal, get down! " Hope said as she pressed herself against him and forced him down with her to the ground. He looked confused, but this wasn't the first time Hope had witnessed this. " Just wait, watch. " Hope said as Nik's glow became even more blinding to where Hope could barely out his features. He was about to go nuclear. Only a moment passed when a shockwave of light came from Nik. Hope tucked her head into Hal as the heat passed over them. She had no idea how long it would take for that energy to tether out, but that wasn't her concern right now. She lifted her head and looked at Hal; god, he smelled good, but now wasn't the time for that. Hope looked over her shoulder at Nik, whose glow dimmed, and she quickly scrambled to get back to her feet. She moved behind Nik. " Got ya, " she said as she caught him under his arms before he could fall to the ground. " Breath, Nik. Deep breaths," Hope said like a parent who had been through so many times before as she glanced over at Hal. " Believe it now? " Hope asked Hal as she slowly lowered Nik, so he sat on the ground. He had remained conscious this time, so that was an improvement. She looked around at the expanse, and as expected, you would never know what Nik had done; there was nothing to destroy. " Are you okay? " Hope asked; she was now acutely aware of their surroundings. " That show might have alerted Ox Corp; we need to get out of here. " Hope said, already planning their way out. " I'm parked not far from here. You wait here with Nik and Hal... any signs of trouble, get him out of here, okay. No heroics this time; just run. " There was a warning in Hope's words but also a concern. God or not, Hal had already died once, protecting her and Nik. She wasn't entertaining the same stunts this time around. Nik had only just gotten his father back, and Hal had just met him. She didn't want either of them to lose each other now, she already knew what that pain was like, and she couldn't bear to watch either of them go through it. She hesitated for a moment but then decided to trust Hal, and she took her wraith form so she could get to the car quicker and finally bring Hal home. Word Count: 1101

Nik refused his hand, but Halver did not react besides adjusting his position to accommodate holding Nik's upper arm instead. He concentrated his energy into both hands, feeding it directly from his soul into theirs. It was exhausting, yet the Viking was driven forward by his guilt. Hope birthed him a son without him. She had blessed him with the greatest gift he could have asked for, and he had missed the boy's entire childhood. The thought caused him such immense pain that he could not bare confronting it in the scrutiny of their gazes. So he would focus on strengthening them.

Hope's vines encircled his wrist, their thorns puncturing holes into his skin as they sought to trap him, bringing once-familiarized pleasure with their pain. "There she is," he whispered, lifting his lightening eyes to look at her. The vines craved him just as much as the woman, and he smiled, relieved to know that her desires for him remained just as strong.
He was content to gaze upon her face, so he could watch her heal before his eyes, but he didn't. An energy shift gave him some pushback from Nik, and he turned his attention to the boy as Hope called his name.

"What is this?" Halvar questioned with a breath, seeing the same golden light he wielded harnessed by his son. Halvar had many sons, and none had ever wielded the same energy transferal capabilities as him. It was astonishing, even when the power overwhelmed Nikolai's young body.
Hope's concern drove them onto the floor, and Halvar landed with a grunt of discomfort. His body was still laboring on expelling the bullet from his back, so he shifted his weight from it, his hands wrapping the curve of Hope's lower back as she pressed him to the earth.

Nikolai did not give his father time to enjoy his close proximity to Hope as a large blast of energy burst from him like a backdraft inside a burning building. "Gods..." he laughed, confused excitement lighting his face as the light burned above him, aching his eyes. "Magnificent!"
Hope jumped from him, leaving her cold imprint against his chest, and Halvar lifted to rest on his elbows, watching his lover catch their weakened son before he dropped.
She eased him to the floor with compassion, and Halvar watched, feeling a bloom of pride warm him in the absence of his energy. "Yes, I believe it," he spoke on the back of a smile, emotion dampening his gaze. "You were supposed to hold onto my energy. Not waste it," he quipped, looking at the subdued boy, seeing he would have to teach him how to utilize power. "That was very impressive. Your brothers could do no such thing."

Hope's concerns lifted Halvar onto a firm footing, his exhaustion hidden behind keen eyes. She was right. They needed to leave quickly. He was not strong enough to save them. "Of course," he agreed, not willing to risk his son so freely. "We will wait here for you," he moved to Nikolai's side, replacing Hope as she rushed away. "Can you stand?" he questioned, holding a hand for the boy, hoping he was resilient enough to get up despite the odds.

N I K O L A I . D E A T H - R E I G N - M A T A S H I N A Dhampir || Shapeshifter Profile ​ Nik had never felt anything like whatever the old man was doing. His body vibrated and hummed with power in a way blood had never done. It was probably better than blood, and nothing had ever been better than blood. The energy moved through him, healing every atom and molecule until Nik was pristine. But the power didn't stop coming as it sought out and found its likeness deep within Nik. Nik had barely scratched the surface when it came to using this " glow ", but he had no way of knowing what would happen when his energy met his father's within him. Nik wasn't sure how to explain what happened next, but the closest thing he could compare it to was a volcano erupting. The powers met and grew, but Nik couldn't yet contain or control such power, so it poured out of him like an eruption. This had happened only a couple of times before when he was younger when he had become enraged, so it has never felt good. But what Nik felt, unbeknownst to him, was pure unbridled power. But there was too much, and Nik could have sworn his body would rip at the seams as he heard his mother's voice calling him. But as he tried to call out to her, his voice never came; instead, his power burst from his body, releasing the pressure on his body that wanted to contain it. Nik's legs buckled beneath him, and he waited to feel his body hit the ground. However, his mother ensured that he didn't fall. She had never let him fall. She was lowering him to the ground as she reminded him to breathe. He hadn't realised, but he must have been holding his breath this whole time. He took a deep conscious breath and felt his heart start thumping in his chest again. He was lightheaded, but with each breath, it eased. Hope and Hal were talking back and forth before Hal spoke to him. The suspicion from before was gone and crossed his face. Nik must have impressed him. " You were supposed to hold onto my energy. Not waste it." Nik lifted his head to look at the guy to see if he was serious, but judging from his strange smile, he wasn't. Nik was preparing a witty remark, but his father referred to brothers, as in multiple, which Nik hadn't seen coming. " Brothers?! " he repeated as he looked at his mother. His mother had ensured that he committed the family tree and history to his eidetic memory. If there he had siblings, they definitely weren't on his mother's side of the family. But he had never considered his father's side of the family because, as far as he knew, he was dead and had no family. He looked at Hope and wondered what else she hadn't told him. " Yeah, I'm good," he replied, focusing on his breathing and getting a steady heartbeat again. His mother decided to get the car and threatened Hal with a thinly veiledly. ' No heroics ' Nik knew his history well enough to know what she was referring to. His Mum lost his Dad and brother in these woods five years ago, and she obviously didn't want a repeat. His mother rose, and Hal took her place beside him. His mother took that creepy wraith form and disappeared, leaving him alone with someone who had tried to murder him only minutes ago. The man held out his hand for a second time, but there was no command this time, merely a question. Nik stared at him, realising now where he got the blonde. Mum's family was all red-headed or dark; he had always stood out with his striking golden hair. " Yeah, probably. " Nik said as he took the hand this time and used the arm to leverage himself back onto his feet. His head felt a little dizzy for a moment, but with a deep breath, it passed, and he was steady again. Now Nik was alone with his Dad and didn't know what to say. He had a lot of questions, but none of them seemed appropriate to ask right now. There was an awkward silence until Nik couldn't stand it any longer. " So, eh? How many brothers are we talking about? " Word Count: 727

H O P E . D E A T H - R E I G N - M A T A S H I N A Vampire || Wraith Profile ​ Hope vanished into thin air and quickly moved through the wraith realm to cover ground faster. Even the wraiths in that realm no longer dared cross her path. They had bore the brunt of her frustrations when Marcus had died for the hundredth time or when she struggled to be a single mother of two immortal children. There were a few less wraiths, and Hope had kept Rulakh in this realm more to keep them in line and to keep the kids safe. Young, vibrant souls were hard to resist, even for a wraith as loyal as Rulakh. She didn't need to be kept up at night with the kids having nightmares of ghosts. At the far side of the Black Expanse, there was a black BMW 2 Series. This was Hope's idea of a discreet car as the windows were tinted, and she didn't think it was all that flashy. If Nik had a choice, they would drive around in some flashy sports car. She unlocked the car and stepped in, sliding into the driver seat and shutting the door. She grabbed the steering wheel and thought about pulling off, but her body was frozen. Her arms wrapped around the leather wheel, hugging it as she placed her head on the wheel and took a private moment to try and process what was happening. " I swear, Loki if you fuck with my family, it won't be Nik you will have to worry about it. " Hope whispered the words like they were a prayer. She didn't know if he heard her or if the god even cared enough to listen. But she knew he was watching and had orchestrated this whole thing. He had somehow convinced Hal that Nik was a threat and almost allowed him to kill his own son. " And if you're scared now, you ain't seen nothing yet. " Hope's threat was dipping on her tongue. Loki saw Nik as a threat, and he was starting to make moves against him, and Loki was smart to be scared. Today's display of power was the biggest she had seen yet, and she suspected it would continue to grow with him. With Hal now back, there was no telling how powerful he could be. But Nik was soft, protected from the world's darkness. Hope was the darkness in the world, and she was prepared to unleash it no matter the cost to herself. Raising her head, she composed herself and looked in the rearview mirror at her reflection. Her complexion was practically glowing much in the way Niks did. The rest of her, however, was less than put together. Her hair was matted and clotted with blood; her clothes were torn and mudded from her fight with Nik. Sighing, she ran her dirtied fingers through her hair, trying to smooth it out, but it was pointless. The only thing that would fix this mess would be a very hot shower, but that would have to wait. She needed to get Nik and Hal out of there. She started the engine and quickly picked up speed as she kicked up the black dust in the air. It only took her a few minutes to return to Hal and Nik, and she still had to look twice. It seemed surreal seeing the pair together. She never thought she'd see it, and still, a part of her wondered if she hadn't lost what few marbles she had left. She pulled up alongside them, screeching to a halt. " Get in. " Hope said as she looked at Hal but spoke to Nik. " Back seat Nik... " Hope spoke, breaking her eye contact with Hal to look at her son, who had already opened his mouth to argue. " Now, Nik," she uttered as she watched him sink into the back seat. She waited for Hal to get his oversized body into the car. She took one last look in the rearview mirror at Nik, who was glancing between her and Hal. She pulled off, seeing the questions floating around in his head, but they would have to wait. Hope had waited five years for this; Nik could wait a couple more hours. Word Count: 704

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