Alexi continues smiling happily, not feeling bad at all about having to confine Erik, knowing that it's for the good of the world. . . .If his plan works of course. The fact that it might not both excites and terrifies the human, but right now all he can think is that Erik is here, now, with him, and willingly sharing so much with him, and that makes him happy.

~*~*~*~*~

Slipping quietly into the meeting the young Drow listens carefully to the plan being laid out by their replacement leader. [i]'It has been only a week. It still sounds so strange to simply call he “leader”. So many of us still have hope. . . .'[/i] He keeps his thoughts to himself, lamenting that due to his race's sensitivity to the sun he will be unable to join in this, the first major operation after Leader Schumann's disappearance. [i]'Sometimes I curse being born this way. Not because I am ashamed of my race, but because, despite all my advantages, something as simple as a sunrise can kill me. . . .'[/i] All eyes go to Nirale as she turns to actually address the group before they head out.

Leader Nirale strode up to the meeting hall stage, a simple raised platform, made of wood, where a large crowd could be addressed. Of course, this particular crowd held the twenty soldiers involved in this mission, along with a few other interested parties. Taking a deep breath, the five-foot tall wood elf projected her voice without a microphone.

“I will not waste your time with pleasantries. We all know why we are here today. This mission has been in the planning stages for nearly a month now. I know we are all still mourning our fallen comrades, our fallen Leader, but we can do justice to their sacrifices today. They would want us to go on, to keep fighting. Some of the most important players in the slave trade will be sitting in that room today. I expect that their bodies will be sitting in coffins by tomorrow. They can capture us, torture us, even kill us, but we will not fail. In the end, justice and equality will prevail. Let's show those filthy, sadistic bastards just what happens when you try to oppress the magical community!”

~*~*~

Erik smiled slightly and dug into his omelet, watching Joseph as he pulled out the first aid kit to draw blood from both men.

The crowd lets out an enthusiastic whoot before dissolving into the appropriate groups and heading for their various means of transportation. Nirale herself takes an extra moment, closing her eyes and thinking of a certain vampire she's always felt was her inspiration and strength. [i]'Even with you gone, I still feel your passion Erik. We will get this done. We [b]will[/b] see our kind free'[/i] Looking up she spots Adrian in the back of the room and offers him a smirk, his naturally near glowing red eyes reminding her for an instant of their fallen vampiric leader. Steeling herself she steps down off the rise and heads out after her men, ready for the fight ahead.

~*~*~*~*~

Alexi does his best to focus on his food while Joseph does what he have to, but he can't help feeling his stomach do a flip flop as he spots the red out of the corner of his eye. [i]'Bleh'[/i] he thinks, recalling the flavor from last time. Once both portions are taken Alexi watches Erik, waiting for him to produce the potion.

Erik took the bottle out from his pocket and placed it on the table for the elder vampire, who quickly mixed the doses in glasses for both men. Expressionless, he handed each of them a glass, hoping that this dose would not make his beloved Master worse off than he already was from the foreign emotions.

Alexi lets his feelings flow, his confidence, his caring, his admiration. He lets it all fill him up, watching Erik closely as to not lose the feeling. There is a slight smile on his lips as he takes the glass. He grimaces slightly at the prospect of once again drinking blood but to counter it he looks back at Erik and downs his dose quickly. Setting the glass down carefully he sits back. Feeling the black void in his midsection flushing out he lets out a sigh and waits to see whatever Erik was feeling.

Erik drank the potion, less in control of his feelings, but at least keeping himself from feeling anything too damaging. He mostly felt concern, apprehension, and a strange sense of contentment. In fact, rather than particularly needing to control his emotions, he was naturally calm.

It was only a moment after he had downed the glass that he began to feel the emotions Alexi was projecting. It was not so different from the feelings from before, caring, confidence, admiration, but for just a moment, Erik allowed himself to dwell on them. “The emotions you do feel, they are so pleasant. I cannot ever imagine why you would want my tortured soul,” he commented, smiling weakly. “I wish I could feel this all the time.”

Alexi's eyes flutter close and he lets out a slightly odd noise. The feelings do not hurt, but they feel so foreign he's not sure that to make of them. They tumble around for a bit, bit as they slips back he delights openly as he realizes that they seem to linger. Not like the pain and darkness from before, almost like they are being renewed. He opens his eyes, smiling at Erik. Offering up a half smile he murmurs, “I only feel like that around you Erik. . .” Reveling in the fact that he can continue to freely feel what Erik does the human lets his eyes close again, a slightly blissful expression on his face, despite the fact that the newly added feeling of envy is also something he's not really use to.

For a moment, the vampire was confused, as if Alexi were speaking a foreign language. But the words clicked into place. “Ignoring, for a moment, irrationality of that kind of confidence in me... What do you feel like when you aren't around me?” he asked, his voice genuinely concerned.

The confusion ripples gently in the background, making Alexi giggle. Opening one eye he glances at the vampire before letting it slide shut again. “Nothing much Erik. I feel love when with Joseph or Mois, affection when with my servants, and a general bad feeling when around my so called equals. But when I am alone? Nothing much. . .”

“I see,” Erik muttered, turning towards his glass of animal blood and his breakfast, unsure of what to say to that. “Well, I am glad that I can make you feel such lovely emotions.”

Alexi chuckles. He doesn't even need to see the man to know he stumped him. After a long moment he looks to Joseph. “I feel well Joseph, no need to keep hovering.” He smiles wide as if to prove his point. Sitting up properly he begins digging into his meal, washing away the taste of blood with some OJ.

Joseph stayed for an extra minute to make sure that his beloved master was actually eating, and then spoke. “Your car will be ready in half an hour. It's already been filled up and polished. I wish you luck with your meeting today, young Master.” And with that, the head slave quietly bowed and left the room.

“Thank you Joseph.” Alexi murmurs, smiling and watching his foster father leave. He stares at the closed door for a long moment before letting out a soft sigh. “He is a good man. . . .” Looking back to Erik he lets his natural emotions about the vampire tumble about, trying to counteract the uncertainty, to perhaps sooth some of those less than positive emotions. [i]'How do you get anything done when you are completely sure of what you are doing?'[/i] he wonders, yawning slightly. “So, why did you sound so concerned before? I thought you knew that my emotions are all wonky?”

“As I've said, knowing that doesn't make it that much easier to hear or get used to. I've spent my life learning how to chain my emotions so that I can function without committing murder. It's difficult to realize that another person in the world feels so little, especially in comparison. So, yes, I can't help but experience some concern and confusion, even knowing you already,” Erik replied.

Alexi lets out a sigh. “It is still so strange to be bound to someone who has exactly what you wish you could have, and to hear that all they want to do is lock this thing away.” Looking up at Erik, Alexi examines the face before him. “I do not know how I would feel about feelings if I were free to feel them as everyone else does. Maybe I would have broken long ago, or maybe I would be a better man. Who knows?” He lets out another sigh, eating quickly. [i]'If I do not eat it all Joseph will worry. He knows what blood loss does to people, and he knows I will need my strength for this. . .'[/i]

Alexi quickly finishes his meal, letting his happy enjoyment of the food trickle through him. Small as it is he hopes Erik can feel it. When at last the final bite is gone the billionaire stands and pulls on the overcoat. Checking his lines in the mirror to make sure they're straight he smiles, smoothing down his front. Looking back at Erik his gives him a playful wink, quite happy that he gets to show off one of his rarer outfits in front of those silly stuck-up morons society calls his equals. Giving a wave Alexi chimes, “Off to that gaudy white and gold building of finance I go!” With that he slips out of the room, down the stairs, and into the garage. He smiles, noting that Mois' SUV is already gone. Uwin seems to catch on to his master's good mood and greets him happily.

“Good morning Master Alexi, you look well!” the elf chimes happily, his red hair half vanishing under his driver hat as he pulls it on.

Alexi returns the smile, mourning on the inside as he feels the emotions fading. “Am am feeling quite well this morning, thank you Uwin. You look well rested. Did you sleep in the booth again?” Uwin ducks his head with an embarrassed grin as he opens the door for the master of the house.

“Yes, but I made sure not to sleep in that funny position again so my neck's okay!” He looks up at Alexi as the human stops to squeeze his shoulder supportively. More than once Uwin has indeed slept funny in his little booth and had to ask someone to fix his neck so he can drive.

“That is good to hear Uwin. You have the schedule?” The elf nods. “Good, then off we go!” He slips into the back seat, a faint trickle of joy slithering through him at the pure delight Uwin seems to be feeling. [i]'He seems so happy to see me happy. . .'[/i] He lets out a faint sigh, settling back against the seat and closing his eyes. Uwin spots this and stays quiet, knowing Master Alexi is doing something important. The files Alexi needs are already resting on the back seat but before he looks at them the human wants to make sure of all the information in his head. There is something to be said for Alexi's ability to recall the oddest things. The information in his head is not on the meeting itself, but on the people attending.

If one could see inside his mind it would look something like a giant Rolodex moving at a hundred miles an hour. Each time it stops it's only for a fraction of a second, just long enough to read a word before moving on to the next card halfway to the other side of the Rolodex. [i]'They will have guards with them, trying to look all impressive. After the bombing they'll be expecting trouble. Being without one, that will be good, will show my confidence, relax the room. I should. . .'[/i] His mind continues to tumble over figures and options, right down to what should be ordered for lunch should it run that long, until at last he feels confident that he has what he needs prepared in his head and he opens his eyes.

“Some music please Uwin. Something catchy so I have something to hum while the meeting is going one.” The elf laughs from the front seat and pulls out the music collection Alexi gave to him to choose from when he asks for music. Settling on something lovely and epic he slides the disc into the player, setting the volume where Alexi normally likes it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOA1wBw_Jt4 Once the lovely soft strains from the violin set in Alexi lets out a sigh and sits up a little straighter. 

Snatching up the first folder he begins humming along with the moving tune. He's heard it many times before of course, but it always compels him to hum along. “Good choice Uwin.” he murmurs.

“Thank you Master Alexi.” the giddy elf replies, his eyes on the road, a smile on his lips.

Once at the complex Alexi bids Uwin a soft farewell before his face drops into it's usual false smile he wears in public. He is greeted at the door by a gofer and practically bowed through the entire complex until he reaches the elevator. The taller man's “I want to please you” actions seem to drip with sleaze and Alexi detaches himself from the man as quickly as he can, asking him to fetch some hot tea. The men and women who are to attend the meeting are all milling about when he arrives in the conference room and Alexi is please to figure out that he's the last to arrive. [i]'That is right, I am the boss, you wait on me. This is my company we are talking about, and none of you get to tell me what to do with it'[/i]

Alexi gets the distinct impression that Erik would disapprove of his thoughts, the sound of them being very arrogant and superior, but at the same time Erik would not know that at least half of these men have tried at one point or another to take at least part of his company. Louis gives Alexi one of his arrogant smiles and the youngish billionaire realizes that he's up to something. With a soft sigh he pulls out his phone and turns it to silent so it won't disturb the meeting. This seems to remind several other men to do the same. Things proceed normally, Alexi having to avoid looks of disgust and exasperation with each metaphorically and sometimes literally greasy hand he needs to shake. In his normal emotional state however, this take little effort.

~*~*~*~*~

Staring through the scope of his sniper rifle Mois watches his brother enter the building, the subtle shift from truly happy to a false happy easily discernible by the older male. [i]'That's it Brother, get into the game, get it done, then get out of there'[/i] He lets out a sigh, quickly finding the room for the meeting before pulling his head away from the scope to wipe away from sweat. [i]'You have to be roasting in that outfit Brother. . .But then again, your driver is good, and at this temp the building probably has AC on. . .'[/i] He huffs a little, the heat of the morning not something he's too happy with, but something he willingly puts up with for the sake of his brother's safety.

~*~*~*~*~

Unfortunately for Mois the danger approaching his brother is not from any direction he can see. Parking a good mile from the building itself the selected members for the mission against the financial company slip down into the sewers and begin racing towards their destination. The plan is simple. Two teams enter from the basement and once the area is secured, they leave a few people behind to keep the area clear. The two main groups will take the elevators up, one stopping on the floor that has the information they want, the other going right to the top where the meeting is being held. The second group is to take out as many of the bigwigs as they can before getting back into the elevator and riding it back to the basement. The leader, Nirale, clutches the control chips in her pockets, the ones that will allow them to take exclusive control over the elevators and keep security from shutting them down. [i]'Yet another reason I love the human's reliance on technology'[/i] she thinks with a smirk.

The vampire sat down at his desk, or rather, his captor's desk, and began writing a on a copy of the map for Elsa's arena. As he thought about the mission, his mind kept wandering to past raids and what exactly his comrades were currently doing. There was a nagging feeling on his mind that he was forgetting something, some name he should remember, something important.

It was a few more minutes of staring at maps and sipping some more blood and water before something clicked in Erik's mind. Quickly, he checked the date on his work computer, and like dominoes, the pieces fell into place. He knew exactly what his friends were doing. A raid in the Mendoza financial district... in the Wilson building... which happened to be white and gold... where Alexi would be this very moment. Panic gripped him, but he would not allow it to overtake his senses. With haste, he paged Joseph, -Emergency. Alexi in danger. Come here NOW!-

Joseph heard his cell phone beep with confusion. That was the beep for Erik, who had never messaged him. But when he checked it, his eyes widened. He was on the other side of the mansion, normally a good 10 minute walk from Alexi's room. But now he sprinted and, using his vampiric speed, covered the distance in around two minutes.

Panting, he crashed into the room, hardly remembering to open the doors.

“What's wrong with Master Alexi?!” the vampire demanded, his eyes narrowed. Erik met him calmly, partially expecting this reaction.

“He's in danger. My cell was planning a raid at the Wilson building. I didn't realize 'till this morning that Alexi would be there. He wasn't originally supposed to be in that meeting, or I would have remembered.”

Joseph's eyes flashed, but there was no time to kill Erik at the moment, so he nodded and tried calling his master's cell phone.

… Which, unfortunately, seemed to be on silent. [i]'Blasted things, should there not be some kind of emergency mode?!'[/i] he thought angrily, before immediately calling Master Mois, hoping that the elder brother was in a position where he could answer his phone. [i]'Come on, come on, Master. You know I would not call you like this unless it were incredibly important.'[/i]

His face without expression Mois watches Alexi interact with those foul people he himself would have had to deal with were it not for that fateful night and his mother's hate. [i]'Those men and women, they don't know what's coming, and what is going to be sacrificed for their future. Yeah, I know Alexi is sickened by them, as am I, but he's as much doing this for the humans as he is for the magicals. He may not even realize it, but really, this is good for both sides. . .'[/i] Alexi and the others are just sitting down as Mois' phone suddenly goes off. He'd silenced most of the numbers on the phone least his coworkers try to call him up for a drink or something and distract him, so when that telltale jingle comes from his hip holster he blanches slightly before even checking to see who it is.

Pulling out the humming device his stomach drops even further as he notes who is calling and with a thick swallow he quickly presses the answer button on the screen and puts it on speakerphone so he can go back to watching Alexi just in case. “What's wrong Joseph?” he says shortly, his scope moving this way and that for threats around the building.

~*~*~*~*~

Far down below, the infiltration team enters the underground parking area, employees only, and within moments have confirmed that there is no human presence. Nirale moves to the elevators and begins working her way into the control panel to install the chips, a task that should only take a minute.

“The Xani rebels are attacking the Wilson building today. You must get Master Alexi out!” Joseph replied immediately, thanking the stars that Master Mois had picked up the phone.”

In an instant Mois is off running. He leaves his rifle behind, knowing it will be of no use in tight quarters, and with a speed reserved for this very thing he hits the fire escape and begins practically flying down the dark metal contraption. His heart is in his ears and once he's close enough he simply vaults the remaining yards to the ground below. He lands hard and tucks into a roll, on his feet before he even loses his momentum and is off in a flash towards the building housing his brother. He does not think, he simply moves, his only drive, reaching his brother's side.

~*~*~*~*~

Oblivious to the exchange and the dangers below Alexi begins the meeting with a few off color jokes, trying to boost moral as is his main reason for being here today.

Joseph's eyes glowed blood-red, but he merely glanced at Erik and said in a remarkably calm voice, “Can you tell me anything else to help Master Alexi?”

The rebel Leader turned away. “They were going in through the basement level, taking the elevators to the roof, then locking the elevators. He will have to take the stairs. There will be about thirty men. Five holding the basement, five running the ground and basement levels for general backup, seven grabbing the intel off the computer system, and thirteen attacking the bigwigs.”

Mois' mind tunes in to the information coming through his phone and as soon as he's inside slows just long enough to tell the startled receptionist that the building is being infiltrated from the basement. He doubts she will believe him, and standing around convincing her [b]and[/b] the security staff seems a real waste to the currently single minded man so instead he races towards the nearby emergency stairs and begins vaulting them three at a time. A part of his curses the need for rich people to feel drawn to tall places, every step just another obstacle on his path to Alexi.