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Chapter Text

    Legundo wished he had tools. Sadly, what you can carry with you to a place like Oakhurst is limited and compromised, and those tools were expensive for someone who was doing medical work for free. Other expenses simply took priority.

    The underground study Legundo had been working in wasn't well equipped at all. A mix of gardens, animal pens, and a workshop all together. But it was well lightened and dry. Which was enough due to the circumstances.

    The 'Vampire Clinic' –named coined by Avid– in the other hand, wasn't dry, or well lightened, or even clean. It was a mess. Floor half done, windows poorly barricated, dirty, dark. But it had something his improvised study didn't have, a holding cell.

    And they needed that for Pyro.

    Legundo would have been against holding them captive had he not seen the toxic relationship between them and Scott. They needed to keep Pyro safe, and for now, that meant keeping them locked down. Lose the leg, save the life. Lose his trust, save them from themselves.

    Pyro had been captured during a comfortation for the lake becon after he got separated from Owen and Scott. The how had been horrific, and Legundo had been too busy helping Drift to protest or help. The schoolar was trapped under a silver net, dragged into town, and into Avid's stupid excuse for a jailcell. One empty, that had no lightning, a propper bed, or even a propper floor, and it was barely big enough to pace around.

    It was inhumane. But Legundo will fix it. He will fix all of it.

    Pyro had been there for two days at that point. No one had come to rescue him. The doctor had expected a full-on war to unravel, but that didn't happened. He was thankful for it, but it also filled him with pity for the schoolar.

    They looked at the doctor through silver bars as they wolfed down a piece of raw cow meat. He had refused all other cooked foods –which had been offered alongside the flesh– which Legundo took note of, Cleo had said food didn't sound appealing anymore, but the way she had grimmed made him not ask follow up questions. It had been Pyro themselves who told them about the raw meat, which had also helped Legundo's other patients drastically.

    Cleo behind them was ripping the poorly installed floor of the 'clinc' part of the prison. There were lamps thrown around for lightning, and Pyro had a blanket with them that he just used to cover the silver block on the floor. Because Silver burned.

    "How much longer, doc?" Pyro asked from behind the bars, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. They spoke in that calculated tone Owen pulled when monologuing. It didn't fit Pyro, but then again, what do any of them know about Pyro? No one got to know him.

    "How much longer, what?"

    "How much longer are you going to keep me locked in here, living on crumbs, slowly starving to death?" Pyro stalked closer to the bars, not touching them.

    They did look weaker by the day, but they had been getting fed twice a day, two cows per day. How could that not be enough? How could that be crumbs? Or perhaps they needed human blood? He didn't know what to do if they did.

    "Until we can help you." Legundo burried his doubt deep beneath him. If he actually could, if they were actually starving him. It didn't matter. He couldn't let them go regardless. It would risk a massacre. It would risk them going back to Scott.

    Pyro's controlled smirk flattened, his ears –now pointier– twiched. "Please," they lounged against the bars, grabbing them with one hand and reaching to grab Legundo with the other, bearly out of reach, the sizzle of burned skin filled the air, Legundo knew that smell well, he wanted to throw up, "Doc... I, I am going to die! I can't live like this!" His tone sounded desperate, genuine, hungry.  They sounded hungry and they had just eaten. This was so wrong. Cleo had run to pull Legundo away.

    They stood like a shield between the bars and Legundo. Pyro's desperation quickly –stupidly quickly– turned into evident rage, he hissed.

    A full animalistic hiss, flashing his fangs, pupils dilatated like a cat's. The whole show. It should have felt stupid. It should have felt ridiculous. But it moved a primal response of fear in Legundo's gut, a remainder he was prey.

    Cleo flinched back too before starting to hiss back, throwing herself against the bars just as Pyro had done. They went back and forth through the bars, grabbing each other and attempting to get a hit on the other. It was like watching cats fight through wire mesh. Legundo grabbed her by the waist and pulled her back. She was still hissing.

    As he dragged Cleo out, he catched a glance at Pyro. The desperation was seeping in again as they excited the clinic.

    He knew thanks to Cleo that volatility was something they were experiencing due to vampirisim. Their emotions –they had described– were now overpowering, and it also came with moodswings. It was something Legundo had seen with his own eyes, yet Cleo seemed to hold more control on their emotions than Pyro did.

    He would also need to have a conversation with his other patients about how much they were consuming. Because having Pyro starve was not an option.

    He calmed Cleo down. They kicked the silver door before leaning away. Fuming. He could only feel dread.

   "What is his problem!" Cleo –who apparently wasn't done – walked in a circle and kicked the door twice more, grabbing to the handle so it wouldn't bob too much. Their voice was dripping with fury. "Starving, he says! While eating my cows!" Frustration tears rolled into the edge of her eyes.

    "Celo, he is our prisoner. He deserves to be treated with dignity." Legundo said gently but firm.

    "I know." Their tone was resinged, as if they were giving up. "Those are my cows." They hissed lowly, kicking the door again.

    "How many do you consume a day?" He asked because if two weren't enough, he didn't know what to do.

    "Four... maybe five." Cleo shook her head.

    "Right... so two won't cut it." He bit back a coment, 'It was never going to cut it, and you didn't tell me. They're starving, and you didn't tell me'. There was no reason to start a fight.

    Infighting now was a waste of time and energy. Besides, Legundo knew better than to ask Cleo for compassion for the man who turned her.

 
    Two days ago, Avid had dragged himself from the obelisk all the way back to town. Shelby didn't say anything about how bad he would feel. Perhaps she wanted to and didn't have time. How could they have time? Apo and Cleo imedietly batted in.

    He hadn't even noticed they were vampires. Too cought up in his fear –his paranoia, his greif– to notice anything. The town was right. He was too much, too unstable. Even if he had been right, there was so much he did wrong, and he was now paying for the consequences.

    There were no meaningful changes yet, no red glazing over his eyes, no sharper teeth. But everything felt- was different.

    The transformation had been painful. It started with a tingling sensation under his skin that grew and grew as he desperately tried to push under. Once he made it to his bed, he collaped.

    He had felt sick, physically and mentally. He had spent all night sweating, recoiling in pain that coated his every organ. He lost consciousness at some point and slept most of the morning.

    Once his mind was clearer, he remembered the first week of Oakhurst, when Pyro had gone out with Scott and Owen at night, when he dissappeared for half a day. That day, Avid had confronted Scott in front of Apo's house. He had pointed fingers and yelled. He remembers how Pyro had looked when he ran out of the house to tell Avid to shut up and to stop yelling with a wild look in his eyes like he was about to pounce. Pyro must have been turning at that time, just like Avid was.

    Avid couldn't protect Pyro, or Shelby, or Apo or Cleo or Drift or anyone, apparently. He had started failing the moment he stepped foot in Oakhurst. And now? Now he was so hungry. So unbelievably hungry.

    He didn't want to teaste blood. He really didn't.

    He got off bed, Drift hadn't come back. She was walking around the town, but it seemed like she was staying with the doctor.

    He made her feel unwelcome. Made her feel disgusting. And look at him now. He could never forgive himself.

    He was at a total loss. What to do? Who to talk to? Where to go? He didn't know.

    There was a strange tug on the back of his mind that dragged him to Scott. But he wouldn't. He couldn't. He can't betray the town like that.

    He wondered if Shelby was okay. Tickles of worry persisted behind his skull. He hoped she wasn't mad, and that she wasn't in trouble. Scott wouldn't hurt her, right? Pyro was terrefied of him, but that was just Pyro being werid, it had to be.

    He bolted up and started walking, ignoring the grogginess and the ache on his limbs. As soon as he opened the door, a smell hit him like a truck.

    The smell of human. He gagged. It smelled like sweat, skin oil, and hair. it was so disgusting. It was disgusting, but his mouth was watering. He was so hungry, and it smelled so good. He was starving.

    He walked out of the gate. He needed something.

    Martyn slammed his sword against the silver bars. The metalic sound echoed painfully around the place, Legundo finched, Pyro had stumbled backward, hands over his ears as he let out a painful hiss.

    Legundo told Martyn off. But there wasn't much changing this for now. He instructed the young man to guard by the door.

    When Legundo approached the bars, Pyro hissed at him once more. Legundo passed the 'food' under the bars. The meat was dripping, the cow had just been slaughtered. But it probably wasn't making up for any of it.

    "You don't need to play games with me, Legs." They said, digging his fangs into the raw meat and ripping a pice off cleanly while backing away from the bars.

    "I am not playing." The doctor said, kneeling by the cell. He could feel Martyn's gaze on them, now from the corner of the clinic.  "I don't want you to starve."

    "What's your objective with this? What do you think having me locked in here is gonna achieve?"

    "I don't know."

    The admission came filled with guilt. The doctor put his head in his hands. What did he want? For this to be over, to save everyone, to not have to be the only thing keeping the townsfolk from attempting an inquisition and most likely be killed while doing so.

    "I want to help. I want to help you. I want nobody else to get hurted– turned." He let out a long sigh. Pyro's face relaxed as he digged his teeth again down on the meat, pulling off another chunk, one far too big that he swallowed far too easily.

    "Was it you?" They asked, nailing their eyes into the doctor's with far too much intensity. "Who orchestrated this whole thing?"

    "No." Legundo said simply. He could feel Pyro searching for a molecule of a lie, but he had nothing to hide. He was innocent, at least in this matter.

  The schoolar's face soften, they smiled a little before taking another big bite off the meat.

    "It doesn't work." He said, mouth dripping with meat juice like if he was eating an orange. It would have been disgusting if he hadn't seen worse things before. He heard Martyn gag in the background. "The whole 'kill the sire' thing. Scott's sire and Owen's sire have been dead for... pff centuries."

    Legundo felt his stomach turn. The possibility the books were false was a very present one. He didn't want to think about it.

    "It's not only killing the sire. There's multiple steps. And even then, I am trying really hard to learn, Pyro. I need to learn so I can treat this. Treat you, Shelby, Owen. All of you." Legundo's voice was filled with honesty, "I know I can't ask for your trust in a situation like this, but let me prove it to you. I just need you to stop attacking us. I can't make people trust you or any of the others if you act like mindless beasts."

    Pyro was quiet for a little while.

    They grabbed the iron bar, and the sizzle of burned skin came almost imedietly from the contact. Pyro leaned in. Martyn shifted behind Legundo. Their eyes shined with rage,  "I am not a beast." Pyro whispered.

    Legundo bit back regret at his choice of words.
    

Chapter Text

The morning sun raised. M swapped guarding shifts with Ren. As Legundo stood patiently by the –now deserving of the title– Clinic's door with a bag of butchered meat in hand. He wasn't squirmy around blood or guts, and he had no problems killing an animal if it meant his patient could eat. So he ended up as the designated for the role of feeding Pyro.

    Unlike the others in town, the schoolar was up as early as Legundo was, so Legundo preferred to get them breakfast as soon as possible to get on with his day.

    Apparently, Apo, Cleo, and now Drift drained up to five cows daily to keep themselves not starving. Pyro claimed to be drinking three times that. Legundo believes that based on how ravenous they looked when they ate.

    Ren opened the heavy silver door as M said his goodbyes while walking away. He will probably sleep until the afternoon after an all-nighter shift.

    Legundo was let in. He took his keys and unlocked the padlock to open the slide where he passed the food. From their bed, Pyro turned their head to face them. Not really waking up. They seemed to have been awake for a while. It had been a week, but he is yet to see him wake up.

    "Morning, Doctor." Pyro smiled. Any anger gone. Legundo tried not to stare at the significant way their teeth structure had changed.

    "Morning Pyro. How was your night?" Legundo asked politely.

    "Uneventful. As has the last week." The schoolar said with a neutral tone.

    "I am surprised you haven't gone insane yet, I will get you some books soon. If only to retain your sanity." Despite the casual tone the words they were meant as a promise. The strain of boredom was a dangerous one.

    "I wouldn't bother if I were you. I can't touch your holy books." Pyro shrugged, getting out of bed to sit on the floor, grabbing the bag and digging his teeth into the meat. Blood spashed from the cut and dripped down as they continued to dig into it. It was so messy he was surprised he had never seen them dirty their coat.

    "I have a few medical books, and I am sure I can convince Sausage to allow you his twilight collection." The doctor said.

    Entertainment was scarece in Oakhurst. Not that it was off much need with all of the work there was to do. The absence of boredom was taking a toll in everyone. There was yet to be a day to rest.

    Pyro was in a jailcell, tho. He was being forced to stay still.

    "Pfffft." The schoolar let out a laugh, "Twilight? Really? I would rather not." They cleaned the blood off their chin with the back of their hand. It was unsettling to see them eat, not because it was raw meat, although that definitely played a part, but because apparently their only semblance of civility when eating was chewing with their mouth closed, which on itself had more to do with not letting blood spill than with manners. It was so feral. Legundo was always surprised they could hold a conversation.

    "What about a notebook and some ink? Would you enjoy some journaling?" Legundo asked, washing his hands on the Clinic's sink.

    "Right, I am going to willingly give out information all neatly written for your own benefit and comfort." They said sarcastically, but they looked more anxious than anything.

   "I will not read it." He promised with a sigh. The weariness wasn't misplaced, but it was still testing Legundo's patience.

   They perked up. "Can you really get me that? Won't the others get mad?"

    Legundo nodded. "Of course not. I am not giving you a weapon." He smiled, glad to see the interest in the schoolar. "I'll bring that to you as soon as I can."

    Pyro gave him a werid look before going back to eating. Legundo would have stayed any other time, but he had lots of things to do.

    Avid didn't know how to get blood out of clothes. He had rubbed for a while, but there was still a bearly noticeable stain that he could clearly see.

    He hates that, so he sumerged his only shirt back into the boiling hot water of the bathtub again. Pushing it down, rubbing more soap on it, rinsing, repeat. His hands were red and raw by this point.

    He doesn't know at what point Drift came into the room, or when she took the shirt and hanged it to dry for him, or when she started to hug him and let him crash out on her arms. But he was very thankful for it. Very thankful.

    It was the fifth time he had tried using garlic. He extended the solution in a trail and left a drop of Drift's blood fall into it. It sizzled and cringed like it was alive but stayed pretty much the same. Another fail.

    He took in a sharp breath. He beeded information. Anything. Maybe he can convince Drift to let him study her. Any data would be great. Maybe he could even talk to Pyro.

    He really needed to talk to Pyro.

    Maybe Avid could help, too. Surely, a so-called hunter would have knowledge of some kind.

    He sat back down at his desk, hiding his face in his hands. He let out a long sigh.

    He hadn't cried in a long time. Night terrors, deaths, panic attacks. He hasn't spilled a tear since he graduated.

    He's seen towns fall before. The destruction, the desperation, the fear. All wrapped in a cute bow of flesh and guts that stained the ground for miles.

    War was an awful thing he promised himself he would never be in again.

    Legundo held no hope on Oakhurst anymore. In the best case scenario, everyone died. Worst case, they became bloodthirsty.

    But he couldn't give up. Even when he was sure this was all for nothing. He couldn't give up.

Cleo hunched kneeled over the dead body of a cow. She wasn't hiding anymore, so she wasn't shy about eating straight from the pen. No one would bother them usually, this time, Legundo needed more meat for Pyro.

    "Morning." Legundo said, technically not a lie, even tho it was closer to midday.

    "Hello, doctor." They said, smiling with fangs poking over their bottom lip and red eyes shining up at him. Blood dripped down their chin, but he has seen much messier vampires eat, Pyro was much worse. "Came for a snack?"

    "No, I prefer mutton." He said with a forced smile, hoping she would buy it.

    "Ah, Pyro again? Wouldn't it be easier to give him the full cow instead?"

    "Oh, Cleo, if you can manage to make a cow fit in there, I will applaud you." He smiled more genuinely now. The idea had crossed his mind, but it was simply not an option.

    "I meant it more as in could leash him and bring him out here."

    "I am not 'leashing' anyone." The doctor said firmly. "On top of it being a terrible idea to try to chain down someone who can shrink into a bat and fly away, it's degrading and totally inhumane."

    Cleo shrugged nonchalantly before attempting to clean the dry cow blood from their face. Legundo sighed.

    "How are you feeling after the whole..."

    Cleo looked up once more. "Oh, It's so much better. I have been drinking blood until I am actually somewhat full. I have been flying to places whenever I need to, and I've grown claws!" They said, showing their hands. They were indeed claws, not just sharp nails.

    "Well, I am glad someone is enjoying it." They sighed fondly.

    Cleo was silent for a little while, standing up as they started butchering the meat of the drained cow. "I been wondering. Who was it?"

    "Scott." He said, he thought of saying Owen, It felt right, but that may be dangerous for the lumberjack.

    "I see. You know, it's weird, I didn't feel you when you got turned."

    His eyes softened, Cleo knew. There was no way she didn't.

    "I see."

    "I can smell it too." They weren't looking at him. "I can hear your heart beat on your ribcage. I can smell the sweat accumulating on your skin. I can feel it just by looking at you." She had stood up and were walking until they were face to face.

    "Cleo." They stopped. Legundo didn't know how to explain himself.

    "I don't get what you're playing at, doc."

    "The town sees me as a voice of reason, for better or for worse. And this way, I can prove that -"

    "You aren't proving anything! You're just lying!" The farmer's voice rasied. She was getting rightfully more upset.

    "No, you're right." He took a step back. "I can't prove it, but I can convince them."

    Cleo sighed heavily and backed off. "Just... be smart, doc. I don't want you hurt."

    "I know, I will be. You don't have to worry."

   651,630

   Pyro stared at the blank sheet of paper in front of him.

   651,632

    He had been there for 651,633 seconds –a week and a half a day, give or take – and he wasn't any closer to figuring out what the hell he was supposed to do.

    They couldn't teleport or even turn invisible. Not even lunge. They fed him enough for him not to starve but not enough to have enough energy to do anything to attempt escaping.

    651,646

    The Coven hadn't attacked the town, so he probably was being punished by sire, some way of making him realize how useless he was without the coven. Or maybe they thought he ran. Or that he betrayed them. They hoped not. They couldn't handle the idea of sire thinking they betrayed him.

    651,657

    They didn't want to feel his anger never again. They can still feel his claws ripping their skin after stealing his meal. And his fangs digging into their neck as he struggled not to be pushed under water.

    No. No. Never again. He will plan how to escape, return to sire's side, and then beg mercy. Sire was a merciful man. He will be forgiven, he will be safe.

    651,668

    He needs to do something, or he'll go insane. He started to write. Anything, anything he knew about vampirisim, about Oakhurst, about the becons. Anything, just to do something.

    651,673

    It felt like writing notes for a papper. Even the desperation felt familiar. That was nice.

    651,6... he lost count.

    Avid apprehensively looked up. Pearl sermoned M about trying to convince Avid to turn him. Legundo just looked at him and shook his head in dissapoiment.

    "We had a moment Avid." Legundo said, frowning.

    "I wasn't there! I was... I was turning during that." Drift patted her roommate's shoulder sympathetically. She had gone through all of that herself in the floor of Legundo's underground study. It had been awful.

    "It doesn't really matter at this point." Abolish shrugged.

    "Yeah, if anything, you're the majority now." Pearl shrugged.

    "I know... I just... I was so ashamed." Avid shook his head.

    "Avid, you want Shelby back, we know vampires aren't necessarily bad." Pearl rationalized.

    "No, I think because you're a vampire you have to die now." M said with a playful smirk. Abolish sighed and he dragged M away.

    "Let me show you something, Avid."

    Legundo didn't knew why Avid would lie. But he was about to find out.

Chapter Text

    Avid stared blankly at Legundo. The man looked awfully smug, like he knew better. This once he didn't.

    "Well, this is awkward." Avid shifted. Looking around the underground study. "I never thought I would be in a position where I had to prove I was a vampire. It's usually the other way around."

    "From one liar to another. I can recognize the signs."

    "Wait, you're not a vampire?" That explained why Legundo smelled so human, and his heartbeat, he probably should have figured it out sooner.

    Legundo looked startled, realization dawning on his face. "You really are a vampire."

    "Yes. I told you. I was sick."

    "Oh... Oh, Avid."

    "But it's okay! We'll find the cure." Avid smiled. It didn't bring any relief to the docs face.

    "God..." Legundo stood up and started moving around. Doing anything, clearly with the intention of distracting himself.

    Avid took a good look at the lab. It was way better than the clinic, although he hadn't been there at all in the last week. It felt wrong to do so. And he hasn't wanted Pyro to expose him.

    He looked in awe at the four bottles of holy watter. That must have taken weeks to make. He wondered how it would feel now. Would it be painful? Would it burn? Would he die? It had looked painful on Pyro.

    He would be fine. He just needed to see Shelby and Drift again. Where was Drift anyway? She had been gone for at least two days now. Was she okay?

    He needed to talk to Shelby.

    He said his goodbyes to Legundo before starting to walk to the castle. If the worst happened, he could bat out. It's disgusting, but he could do it if it meant not dying.

    It was the middle of the day, and he was walking very openly in the path, yet he somehow felt like he was sneaking around. In a way, he was.

    What would they think if they saw him talking to the castle vampires? Would they accuse him of betrayal and kick him out? Probably not, but it's what he would had done.

    God, its what he would had done.

    "What are you doing here, Avid?" Shellby asked from behind him. She looked tired and angry. A frown etched on her face as her piercing red eyes stabbed Avid with too much intensity.

    "Shelby!" Even then, Avid couldn't help but smile.

    He stopped to hear for signs of other vampires. Footsteps, breathing – some of them still breathed – or anything. There was nothing, so he started speaking.

    "I was looking for you! Can we talk?"

    "We have nothing to talk about." She hissed.

    "Shelby, please. I am so worried about you... did... did I get you in trouble?" He asked with hesitation.

    "No... they were actually really proud I turned someone." She let a small hesitant smile slip. "They are angry at the town." She spoke sheepishly.

    "At the town? Why?" Avid braced himself.

    "What do you mean why? You took Pyro!" She went back to looking mad.

    "Oh. I thought you guys didn't care." Avid said, staring at the floor. He meant what he was saying.

    "Of course we care!" Shelby hissed. She sounded hurt.

    Avid shut up. He knew when he needed to just shut up. His mind reeled through what to do. He opened his mouth to talk again when he heard the tap of shoes on the bridge.

    "Well. Look what the cat dragged in." Scott said. His cape swinged behind him, and his skin sizzled in the sun. Shelby jumped to his side and stood a step behind him.

    "Scott." Avid took a few steps back.

    "You should leave Avid, I can let it pass but I can guarantee you Owen won't forgive your life." Scott warned.

    Avid ran. He ran even tho his brain was dragging him back to the castle, dragging him to Scott.

    He needed help. Where the hell was Drift?

    "Oh, you've been writing." Legundo said as he walked into the clinic, eyeing over the man's shoulder through the bars at a reasonable distance.

    Pyro was surronded by ripped pages, hands stained with ink, the notebook  laid open as he frantically went through pappers.

    "Yes I..." they cut themselves off, quickly shoving all of the papers under the bed and away from Legundo's view. He let out a low soft hiss Legundo had learned meant to disengage and turn the other way.

    The moodswings and the priority shifting had grown easier to traverse. Not because they had regulated –if anything they had grown more erratic – but by memorizing body language, expressions and apperently the difference between hisses, snarls and other animalistic sounds.. Who would had thought?

    He centered on continuing his notes. He had came to the clinic to talk, but he couldn't unless Pyro was in the mood. He hoped that by paying attention to something else, Pyro would see he was trying to help, or at least be more willing to have a conversation. He could be chatty if allowed.

    It took a minute before he felt Pyro's eyes back in him. It was an uneasy feeling he had grown used to, like being watched by an angry dog. Close to fear but fought by the lack of real danger.

    "Why didn't you kick Avid out?" Pyro asked suddenly as most of his questions usually came.

    "Why would we?" The doctor asked, turning his chair to face the bars. The schoolar sat on the floor, looking up at him with more distrust than usual.

    "Because he is a vampire. I heard him confess."

    "You heard that?"

    "Yes, I can hear everything that happens in this town, and that was just outside the door." He said simply.

    That was worrying information. He picked his pen to write it down but decided against it, it didn't seem like a good choice. He could do it after. He would also have to warn everyone else, even if it may be just a bluff.

    "You didn't answer me." The schoolar said with a frown and squinted eyes.

    "Sorry." Legundo sighed out. "I've seen vampires be more human than many and I've seen humans be more monstrous than any monster could. It's not about what you are. It's about who you are."

    "Then Avid should be kicked out, he is s monster." Pyro refuted.

    "No, Pyro. He is a good man who made mistakes."

    "He burned down Shelby's house." He hissed, "He stabbed me with a silver sword before pushing me off a cliff when I was just standing there. He railed everyone until they came charging against us and then went and made Shelby turn him."

    "He was scared. He made bad decisions. That doesn't make him a monster." Legundo stood up, his voice was louder than he meant. Pyro stumbled back. Legundo stared for a second before sitting back down.

    They stayed silent for a minute.

    "I didn't mean to scare you." The doctor said, turning away back to the stone table he had been working on.

    "You don't scare me." They lied, poorly.

    "I don't do harm." Legundo repeated. "You know this."

    "You said it yourself. Fear makes people make decisions."

    "I don't fear you, Pyro." Legundo said, moving his chair closer, "if I feared you I wouldn't be here. I know you aren't like this, I know this is Scott talking through you."

    Pyro hissed at the mention of his name. "Do not bring sire into this. I made my choices, I can take decisions! He didn't do anything!"

    "Pyro, he turned you, threatened you. You were maniacal the last time we saw you." The vampire gave him a warning hiss, the doctor continued anyway. "We can protect you! Help you! Cure you!"

    "No! No! No!" Pyro grabbed onto the silver bars and banged his head against them. They were hissing and snarling. Legundo had stopped talking, so had Pyro.

    Their eyes were nailed to the floor with this wild look im them. They stayed silent for far too long.

    He had gotten no information out of this, but he hoped the possibility of change was at least present in Pyro's mind now.

    They want to tame you.

    You are no beast.

    You would betray sire? After all the times hes forgiven you?

    They're offering choices! They want to save you.

    You know this is wrong.

    You know this is wrong.

    Pyro let out something similar to a puppy's cry. They held their knees against their chest as thoughts swarmed his mind.

    He hated Legundo. How dare he come give them hope? How dare he lie to his face?

    Sire was the only one that had remained truthful, and the truth was they would kill him. He had turned Cleo and Shelby, two people they really wanted to fix. Without the coven he is dead.

    If they think about it hard enough, the only reason they hadn't been staked was thanks to Legundo's morals.

    Pyro genuine thought he would resort to something, anything, to get information at this point. Sire would have. Legundo was far from who sire was.

    He didn't understand it. Pyro just wanted to be let out. Move away. Go back to the capital, go back to studying. To Maddy, to Lincu, to his shitty doorm and their library job.

    They had been so close to being happy. He just needed to get a published papper. He could have if he hadn't gotten stuck in here with all of this nightmare fuel.

    He heard squeaking. He looked around. A small rat crawled its way into the jailcell. He was about to pounce at it –just to kill it, just to gut it for no reason– when he realized what rat it was.

    "Dorito." He had adopted the thing when he grabbed it back at the crypt. It was smart and wellbehaved, just like a pet.

    It ran closer and crawled into Pyro's lap. He stroked the little creature's head. He would never kill a pet. Bloodthirst aside, prey dirve aside, he wasn't a beast. He loved Dorito and he would rather chewing garlic in a holy water bath than seeing harm come their way or Truffles.

    He hoped truffle was okay.

Chapter Text

    Blood dried on the bags Legundo used to put Pyro's food in. The morning one and lunch one sat untouched in the ground where they had fallen.

    Legundo had hoped that when he left, Pyro would eat. They hadn't. They hadn't spoken or even looked at them. They just laid in bed facing away from the bars, entirely motionless for hours now. He hadn't seen him shift once.

    Impatience turned to anger after simmering for half a day. He let the silver he was covering in holy water on its trail, and he took off his gloves. He loudly dragged a chair over to sit on front of the bars, closer than he should.

    "Are we going to talk, or are you just going to starve yourself to death?" Legundo asked.

    It took a minute for Pyro to respond. "17,361." He said.

    The doctor's anger quickly diffused into confusion. "What...?"

    "17,361 is the number of breaths you took since you got here." Pyro turned around. Their face was perfectly blank. It wasn't meant to be creepy or a threat. It was said like how one announced the weather. That somehow made it worse.

    Legundo ignored it. "So, we can talk."

    "You and I have nothing to talk about."

    "We can talk about the cure."

    "Oh, you want to start that now? What do I do? Gargle holy water until my tongue burns off? Or are you just going to drain me and then inject melted silver into my body?" He hissed, then looked deeply confused as he lowered the agressiveness. Probably because Legundo wasn't hiding how horrified he was.

    He took in a breath and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He wondered if it had been Scott who told him that's what they were trying. If he thought that's what they were doing to Pyro or if it had been a play to keep Pyro scared of their help. He wondered if expressing that would make Pyro upset or understand. He didn't risk it.

    "Pyro, I want to help you, not torture you. I won't force this on you, but please, if it's what you want, take it. It's your decision."

    "No... you can't kill Scott. That's not something you can do."

    "We can try." Legundo offered hopeful, inching closer.

    "It's useless. Even if you do... it won't matter." He said, and that desperation that always seemed to seep on kicked.

    "You haven't done anything wrong, Pyro, you can be good. You just have to choose to be." Legundo knelt by the bars, Pyro stared very openly.

    "I don't want to die. I..." he whimpered something out.

    "I won't let you, we won't let you. We'll protect you. We'll protect you as much as everyone else." The doctor grabbed one of the bars. He had been planning on reaching in, but the space between bars was too small, of course, to be able to also keep a bat inside.

    Pyro still looked unsure. As much as they had when they asked for a note just days before. Paranoia was eating at them visibly. Pyro hizzed, and Legundo backed out away.

    He didn't miss the sizzling noise from outside as he did, tho. Pyro knew someone was listening.

    Blood was delicious. Savory and metalic and sweet. It made him feel warmth that was far lost to his very dead body. This was just chicken blood. What would human blood be like? He couldn't help but imagine his teeth around Legs neck or ripping out Ren's throat. The sounds, the warmth, the feel. His imagination ran as wild as his hunger as he broke another's chicken's neck.

    It was all-consuming. He was hungry even as he downed a cow. How long could he go without human blood? Was that possible at all?

   Certainties and uncertainties, Avid.

    Uncertainties... could he live on animal blood forever? Would he starve? Would he attack someone if he did? Would they find a cure? Would they need to kill Shelby for that? Would he go back to being sick if he did? Drift wasn't in town anymore.

    Certanties... He was hungry. He was scared. Everyone at the castle was so in control. They had answers to his questions, and they could help... they had Shelby, and they probably had Drift. There was nothing for him in this town.

    No, not yet. He couldn't! He couldn't just join the people that he had hated for so long. They would kill him on sight.

    He made it back to town, and he could hear noise in the clinic. It was probably the doc dealing with another of Pyro's tantrums. He couldn't bear going near the place. The thought made his skin crawl.

   Avid now realized how atrociously covered in silver the town was. He was still a low stage vampire, so it really only bugged him.

    He made it to his house, took a bath, and got dressed. He felt one of the silver blocks dissappeared a few metters from his house, so he jumped out of the window. Landing on his feet like a cat. Being a vampire was so cool.

    One of the elevated silver Abolish had placed was gone, the one by the clinic, Legundo was watching at it bitterly. Pearl –always the calm one – was just saying it was okay.

    "Do you think this is them trying to get to... you know?" Avid asked, pointing to the clinic, reaching for the sword on his hip.

    "I think this is them trying to spy on us." Legundo said with a furrowed brow that was turning more and more his usual expression. "If there's anyone invisible here. What I said to Pyro applies to you, too!" Legs yelled, "We don't want to hurt any of you. We just want to help!"

    "What happened?" Abolish asked, coming from the corner.

    "Invisible vampires braking silver." Pearl offered.

    Avid stood awkwardly as Abolish replaced the silver when he felt a cold breath on his ear. Before he could flinch, he heard Scott whisper to meet him outside the walls at night.

    He should tell the others and plan something about it so they could hunt him down. Take a win. All of them against Scott? They could win. Right?

    Avid stayed silent. Nightfall couldn't come fast enough.

    Anxiety bussed under Pyro's skin, the memory of his heartbeat hammered on his head. He could feel his ears twitching as he picked up every little sound heard around. They couldn't smell much anymore, the ammout of silver around was making them drop the habit of breathing more than any of sire's jabs had, but they had smelled him anyways.

    Steps, voices, twigs braking, grass moving. Someone passing their hand through the wooden wall outside. Pearl, Abolish? Legundo, he could all of them talking outside, he could hear Avid doing that annoying thing where he breathed through his mouth. Like seriously, what's wrong with him?

   He had been bluffing when he said he could hear everything in town. An easily disproven lie. They didn't really know why they lied. It just felt like the thing to do. But even then, he could definitely hear everything this close.

    He heard sire whisper to Avid to meet him out of town. Something like dread started to crawl up his stomach. He really hoped sire didn't think he was betraying them. He really hoped Avid would betray the humans. He really hoped he was going to get freed.

    Not like this was too bad. He didn't mind it much, but he was terrefied of what will happen. Sire was inevitable, he didn't want to get slaughtered.