Mithias bowed his head at Bedivere's sternness. One did not survive a brush with death and escape with any shred of pride. The gravity of nearly dying forced Mithias to some realization. What would his life have been worth if he had perished just then? A mere 700 years, and for what? The sense of failure and regret that had struck him had been a wake up call. All this time, he had been living to protect others, yet always selfishly serving his own interests. Why was he hanging on to a long-distant family that had been successful and whos identitity had been swallowed by time? He had been deluding himself. Feelings he had been keeping suppressed for ages rose up to hang him in his final moments. Now, he had a second chance. He would change his course and see to the peace of his soul. 

"I believe Old Gabriel is to be thanked for your life. I merely quickened the recovery. But names are unimportant, lest you have a request for your headstone when you lie as dead as the humans you serve."

Mithias looked sharply at the black bird with an expression of perplexity and some surprise. At first speechless, he blinked. It wasn't that he didn't recognize the name... Oh, he did. Mithias knew that name better than Bedivere could have imagined, but the rising vampire's thoughts were unreadable. 

"I do not serve humans." He stated plainly a he turned his back and collected his swords. Ah, perhaps there was some hope for the misguided youth yet. 

Truly, Mithias was a bit of a control freak. He guarded his agency viciously, a likely explanation for his defensive mental power. Being a slave or a plaything was infuriating to him, but he was currently still too humbled by death's thwarted hand to display any vehemence. This wasn't where he belonged, and he had a debt to pay. 

As all vampires know, after death, life begins anew. 

Leaving the vampire lord to poetically prostrate the Purge's precious paladin, Mithias grabbed his bow off the downed motorcycle and considered the proper preservation of his person in light of the precarious picture before him... ok I'll stop. 

He looked across the field and down the hill into the burning city proper. Bullets were flying, blood was flowing, and a keen eye discerned that the Purge were suddenly changing direction. The question of why he had been resqued bothered him like an itch, and Mithias knew that it would be an improper waste for him to simply continue what he had been doing without regard to the fact that a really powerful and ancient vampire wanted him alive... seconded by an elder vampire lord from the UK. 

And what of the all-human SOLDIER legislating council? It was true. They did not have any vampires among them. Up until now, Mithias' personal goals and alignment had coincided with SOLDIER's primary directive, and he made use of their organization and resources as allowed. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement, but Mithias was still a contracted free agent. Perhaps the time was approaching to end his association. 

Now on foot, Mithias ran toward the city, distancing himself form the SOLDIER base. As he approached a clearing a magnificent white beast caught his eye, and he momentarily took cover to verify what he was in witness of. In a burst of bloody shrapnel, the vampiric wolf launched into its enemies, overpowering them and tearing their bodies to shreds. This was indeed a oldblood, and likely one that had ties to the werewolves far to the north. Like a goddess of nature, reflecting the bloodthirst of the predator, the she-wolf was wild and unstoppable. In the often twisted and enhanced vision of a vampire, she was beautiful, and this time, Mithias didn't deny himself the right to think so. He watched her, and realized she was truly free. Mithias shook his head as envy and morality faced off within him. he had to keep moving if he was going to escape this insane warzone and find Gabriel. he could contemplate the parallels between vampires and demigods later. 

Having escaped her notice, or so he believed, Mithias entered the city. Although he could run fast enough to be a blurr to human vision, there was no way for mortal eyes to detect him in the darkness or faint firelights. Random fires also obscured heat signals and other means of detection, as he passed down through an ally. One of the Purge tanks was rolling by just across the opening of the ally to the street belching flames in front. Mithias narrowed his eyes and made a quick count of the number of grenades he had on him. Although he was busy trying to leave, he couldn't help himself... The Purge were assholes. 

In the blink of an eye, the vampire dashed out of the ally to the side of the tank and immediately stuffed all the grenades into one side of its wheels or tracks. So fast as to pull all of their pins practically simultaneously, Mithias planted them and escaped within milliseconds. Walking away down another ally, he listened for the satisfying explosion and sound of a tank flipping onto its side. 

Human crusaders couldn't have seen or followed him, or at least not without getting shot, but zealous reprobate crusaders weren't the only enemies on the streets of Kilo Point that night. An army of equally insane vampire supremacists had also joined the battle. Mithias considered as he walked cautiously down the ally that the white wolf vampire and the raven lord that had helped him were probably part of that vampire army. The whole city was a giant clusterfuck, a pinnacle of tens of thousands of years, or however long it had been, of inter-species war. SOLDIER had barely managed peace for a century or so. 

"THE KINSLAYER!"  

Yellow eyes sharpened and Mithias instinctively quickened to round the corner. Two women vampires with unique weapons were tearing apart a greater number of attackers who were strangely, also vampires. The girls would finish their fight then turn around to find Mithias some distance behind them, standing and holding his bow drawn at them threateningly. He was wearing a SOLDIER uniform. The tag "Varomere" read on his left breast. His golden eyes showed serious intent marred by confusion as he tried to decide what the hell was going on here. Although immune to charm, Mithias was nonetheless stunned by the red-head's natural beauty. He wouldn't let on, however. He seemed to be struggling to decide if the two were rebel vampires or bystanders who were either helping or trying to escape. Ah, the dilemmas of the SOLDIER code.

Not long had he kept them threatened when Mithias suddenly had other problems. Turning suddenly, he stepped back and fired a shot at a vampire that had jumped at him from the rooftop alongside the ally. Having no way to dodge mid-fall, the vampire was shot and suffered more than a mere penetrating injury. The arrow was poisoned, or so it seemed based on the brief writhing the creature did on the ground before becoming paralyzed. 

"Soldier scum!" More vampires appeared behind Mithias, who was now flanked on either end by the two women and the new pack of rebels that showed up. He bared his teeth, slung his bow over his frame, and drew his two swords. The new group of vampires also had weapons, and as they looked over Mithias' shoulder made comments about the two female vampires that I will now censor due to mature content.