Can't Understand, Zetos

[Zoe Taguchi]

Zoe's eyelids fluttered. She had never been hurt on this scale before. Well, she had, but not for this amount of time. And she had never been locked up in a place like this before. Coughing, she slumped against her restraints. Her wrists were bruised and bleeding from the chains holding her in a standing position against the wall. She coughed up blood and groaned in pain. They weren't even letting her heal herself. She wasn't used to that; her parents had always let her take care of herself after the beatings.

Not to mention the fact that she hadn't eaten in so long... The second day of her imprisonment was the first time she had had any food since her parents had made sure she couldn't get any food from the hunting grounds... But all they had given her was a rabbit. Since then, she'd had two more, both in between long intervals of time.

She had lost track of how long she'd been here. Zoe worried about her friends in the Old City. What if they weren't able to stay giddy and chipper without her? The only thing she could do was hope everyone was happy. Briefly, she wondered why the vampires had kept her so long. Were they that angry and upset? It must be the war that was hurting them so. Well, that was obviously why she was captured, so they could hurt her, and by hurting her, feel better. That's what her parents did...

But she hurt all over. She was covered, covered, in bruises and cuts. In fact, she was pretty sure her back and stomach were giant bruises by themselves. Looking down, she tried to see how she was doing. Not so good. She was covered in her own blood, she was filthy, she was hungry, and her clothes were in tatters. What had once been a pretty cool pair of jeans and a tank top, were now torn and bloodied in multiple places. Yes, she had been right about her stomach. Her top was so ruined that she could see it, and it was one big bruise. Her legs were doing no better. If her pants weren't so bloody, they would look like that had been ripped as a fashion statement.

She couldn't even lift her head as she heard her cell door creak open.

[Zetos Lapier]

Zetos had been told about the prisoner that they had, it had taken long enough for it to get to him though. The vampire moved out of the way as he stood from his quarters and began his descent towards the cell block. A small darkened chuckle came from deep within the vampires throat. It wasn't a laugh of merriment, more a sinister and evil laugh, one that was anticipating the hatred and pain he was about to see. The red eyes glowed as he walked down another set of stairs, It's a female, what should I do with her? He thought to himself.

Reaching the floor that held the cells he walked past the first cell, looking in at the blood stained floor, the sweet smell of the old stench wafting into his nostrils. This was the Generals favorite place to be, now he could see his revenge at work. So far only three of the weres were returned to their natural habitat. Clicking his silver dagger along the walls he sheathed it before any of the men standing outside the cell door could see it. "Good evening gents." Both of the men saluted him, "Good evening, sir!" He smiled some as he looked at the men. "Open the door please." They did as they were told.

The silent creak came before the large bang. He smirked some deepening his voice, "Well, well, well. Who do we have here?" The words were sinister, his eyes becoming slits as he glared at the pathetic being, chained to the wall. Slowly he moved towards her, and then away, towards the wall where there was a large piece of wood. Grabbing it the vamp moved towards the female once again. He smirked some, this was going to be fun. Brining it back he prepared to strike. With intense motion the wood was headed straight for her nose, but as he had planned he pulled back and it stopped about an inch from her. A small laugh came from him as he studied the prisoner, "I must say, werewolves sure have changed since I was in their dungeons. When did you all start becoming so small?" There was a mocking voice, hidden within his words.

[Zoe Taguchi]

Zoe groggily lifted up her head when the door banged against the wall. Hmm, this was a new one, she hadn't ever seen him before. He looked pretty damn confident, though... maybe an alpha?

"Well, well, well. Who do we have here?" He glared fiercely at her, his eyes full of hate. More hate than she'd ever seen, she hadn't even seen this much hate from her mom, who disliked her even more than her dad did. He walked towards her, but then moved away. What's he doing? she pondered silently. She didn't have to wonder long. He picked up a... what would you call that? A club? A plank? It didn't really matter.

He smirked, and it reminded her of Tharin. She almost mentioned it, but he was aiming that stick right at her face, probably aiming to kill. She felt saddened by this, thinking mostly about Jack. He had been so lonely... without her, would he be okay? Would he be able to be happy? She closed her eyes and waited for the fatal impact.

But it never came. Instead, she heard the man laughing at her. She opened her eyes -- the wood was an inch from her face. Why had he stopped? "I must say, werewolves sure have changed since I was in their dungeons."

We have dungeons?

"When did you all start becoming so small?"

Zoe would have shrugged, but she was unable to. "I don't know," She whispered honestly, not realizing that his question was rhetoric. Curious, she wet her chapped lips before asking, "Why did you stop?" No one had ever stopped to talk to her during beatings before... She was getting all kinds of new experiences in this... wherever she was.

[Zetos Lapier]

"Why did you stop?" He pondered the question then looked at her, she was totally ruined, looking as if she had suffered more then a few beatings in her life time. He flipped the club in his hand lightly, a small sigh coming from deep within, the way she talked, it showed that she did not know who he was. "I know what it's like to be shackled, and beaten, having suffered at your kinds hands, paws? For 2 years straight, no sleep or stop." He glared at her angrily, his permanently blood shot eyes seemed to grow brighter as he inhaled.

With a sow movement he let the club swing towards her knees tapping them lightly with the tip to see her reaction. "See I'm the leader around here, and I was tricked by one of your, kind." He spat at the thought, "And was taken hostage." He smirked evilly, looking at her, unable to move. "I'm the one who's been killing all the were's you ever heard of, Zetos Lapier?" He hissed his own name to the lady. He felt it his right, since he had earned the title rightfully he should be allowed to gloat, and wallow in it's heir.

Slowly he let the club slip through his fingers and it fell to the ground, making a small thud. A laugh rose from within his chest, reverberating throughout the room. With a sudden movement he was beside the female, "I lust for female flesh." This was a tactic he had learned from a few hostages, it would put them on end, scaring them to no belief. He loved seeing his victims move about and writhe in fear. Taking time to study this one though, she seemed to be one that would be hard to make writhe or even squirm in fear, even with the threat of rape on hand, which took the fun out of it for the vamp. "You seem harmless enough, how did you come about arriving here?"

[Zoe Taguchi]

"I know what it's like to be shackled, and beaten, having suffered at your kind's hands... paws? For two years straight, no sleep or stop."

Well that sounded familiar... He tapped the club against her wounded knees. Why, she didn't know. Sure it hurt, but barely.

"See I'm the leader around here, and I was tricked by one of your kind and was taken hostage."

She still had no idea what he was raving about.

"I'm the one who's been killing all the weres. Have you ever heard of Zetos Lapier?"

Zoe furrowed her eyebrows, as confused as ever. What was he talking about? "No..." She murmured quietly, barely audible. Suddenly he was right beside her, breathing in her ear. "I lust for female flesh." Okaaaay... still random. Besides, most men did, anyway. That was nothing new or surprising. What the hell was he doing? When was he going to beat her? Even her parents never taunted her this long before beating her. Then again, this guy wasn't even taunting her. He was just... ranting about his personal life.

"You seem harmless enough, how did you come about arriving here?"

Irritated at all the talking and the lack of violence (Why else would she be there?), Zoe rolled her eyes, exasperated. "Obviously people were very upset, so they took me here to beat me so they could feel better. Is that why you aren't doing anything?" She asked, curious, "Is it because you're happy?"

[Zetos Lapier]

"Obviously people were very upset, so they took me here to beat me so they could feel better. Is that why you aren't doing anything?" She asked, curious, "Is it because you're happy?"

Zetos looked at her, cocking his head to the left. Who was this female, and why did she seem to answer with strange questions. Then he remembered his awful past, the things he had endured in the werewolf dungeon. This was something that he loved to do, this was something that had made him known throughout the werewolves territory, apparently not to all, but his name, he knew, was well known. Without even a stop he flung himself at the lady who hung there shackled stopping within a hairsbreadth away from her stomach, as if he were going to gut check her.

"Now I could make you hurt physically, or I could continue to taunt you, but I don't think either of those would work." The words were slithering serpents that fell from the vamps' tongue, there was poison in each one. Poison was something that the general had learned worked, just make sure that it won't kill the victim, just hurt them. Grabbing some dry mustard he walked back to her, this was going to be funner then he had planned at first. Grabbing the two sides of her cheek bones forcing her mouth to open he placed the powder in and then closed her mouth covering it so she would have to swallow. "Swallow, it's good for you."

((If this is to god-moding for you... I can change it.))

[Zoe Taguchi]

"Now I could make you hurt physically, or I could continue to taunt you, but I don't think either of those would work."

She just knew something bad was coming. Something she probably had been exposed to before. Just because she was touched in the head did not mean she was an idiot. He got something that she knew for a fact was going to hurt her and forced it in her mouth.

"Swallow, it's good for you."

Wait, was that.... As quickly as she could, she turned her head to the side and spit it out, coughing up blood after it. Groaning in misery, she turned back toward her torturer. "No, you're upset," otherwise he wouldn't be trying to hurt her, right? "Despite what you..." She heaved in a breath with much difficulty, "And my father and mother think, I'm not..." She struggled to breathe. Why was it so hard? Oh yeah, they had broken a few ribs. "An idiot," She finished, staring him straight in his bloodshot eyes. She wondered what had happened to his eyes, but she figured it was really none of her business, anyway.

"You should hurry up with the beatings and let me go," She coughed, struggling to stand up. Hey... her wrists were finally starting to slip through the chains... but she quickly put them back in place before it was brought to anyone's attention. "My parents need to... beat me, too, you can't keep me all to... yourself, that's selfish," She reasoned, finding no flaw in her logic.

[Zetos Lapier]

Despite what you... And my father and mother think, I'm not..."

He waited for a second to hear what she had to say, it looked like she had a few different outlooks on life.

"An idiot."

Their eyes were caught, there was something too strange about this girl. It seemed as if she had gone through something extremely bad. Somehow she had had her mind changed to believe everything that was happening was not a bad thing, it was actually a good thing, at least for the others, and it bugged him.

"You should hurry up with the beatings and let me go."

He couldn't believed she just asked this of him, or more, commanded it. Who was this girl and what was she about.

"My parents need to... beat me, too, you can't keep me all to... yourself, that's selfish."

Mouth dropped at this statement, "What the hell are you talking about?" He moved right in front of her. "You are pathetic..." The words slithered out from between the teeth, striking at her. "I don't do this for pleasure, I do it because I have to... We're in a war, and my name needs to be known to your kind." He stopped for a second looking her over. "You will be my own personal message to your kind, warning of what I can do!" Spitting into her eyes he turned away and walked towards the wall.

Reaching the wall he leaned against it, feeling the comfort of knowing there was another like him. "Well I don't care what happens now, your going to be set free soon. I just have to finish up with something of my own." A small laugh fell from the mouth to the ground as he moved towards her, grabbing a small rod he flicked on the switch, turning on the heat. He waved it under the females nose, "Can you feel the heat." He moved it down lower towards her stomach. "I'm going to mark my name."

[Zoe Taguchi]

"What the hell are you talking about?" He moved right in front of her. "You are pathetic... I don't do this for pleasure, I do it because I have to... We're in a war, and my name needs to be known to your kind." He stopped for a second looking her over. "You will be my own personal message to your kind, warning of what I can do!"

She knew the war had something to do with this, but she never realized... slowly everything fell into place. She almost cried at the injustice of it all. Was that why werewolves captured vampires and vampires captured werewolves? Because there was a stupid war that shouldn't even be happening in the first place? It was so... wrong. She quickly sobered up and steeled herself as he came back over.

"Well I don't care what happens now, your going to be set free soon. I just have to finish up with something of my own."

So he wasn't upset... he was just doing it because she was a werewolf. And, apparently, if what he said earlier was true, then her people had done the same to him. "I'm sorry," She whispered, but he didn't hear her. He had a hot iron. A brand. He was going to brand her. No. No no no no. That was were she drew the line.

"Can you feel the heat? I'm going to mark my name."

Quickly, with energy she didn't know she still had (maybe it was the threat of being branded), she kicked away the rod and used her blood as a lubricant to slip out of the loosening chains. She dropped to all fours and shifted to her hybrid form. She grew to an intimidating seven foot four, her teeth bared as she growled and snarled. I am not cattle! She slowly rose so that she was only slightly hunched over, but her eyes never left him. She had her claws stretched and bared as a warning. No way was she going to let him touch her. No. She had had enough of these vampires.

[Zetos Lapier]

She had actually kicked the rod away, this was something that Zetos had not expected. He did not want to kill her though, she was something that she wanted alive. Even as she morphed into the hybrid. Towering over the vamp, he didn't show fear, he had fought weres' that were just as big, and had had more fighting experience.

"Alright listen here." Slowly he began to float up, making him reach her face to face. His feet off of the ground by about a foot and an inch. With some menacing words, "Good... Now that I know you still have some kind of spunk left in you." He stopped for a second making sure the door was closed. "I want you to travel back to your territory... Though if you attack me your dead, you've seen the guards, there are many of them who are willing to die for me." He made sure that he knew this.

"Now I want you to go back, and tell them, that Zetos... Is hunting yet again." He smirked some turning away and going back to his feet, he stopped for a second. "Now if you think this war is stupid, then go ahead and thing that, but until one side is wiped clean of the planet, neither side shall rest, you will keep losing your kind to us, and we will lose ours to yours. I was lucky to escape alive." Turning around in hatred his eyes were set on the hybrid. "And I got to keep a memento as well." His finger traveled up pointing at his eyes. "If you want to leave this place, you will have to leave... A human."

[Zoe Taguchi]

"Alright listen here," He floated up to her height, using his stupid vampire powers. "Good... Now that I know you still have some kind of spunk left in you.... I want you to travel back to your territory... Though if you attack me you're dead, you've seen the guards, there are many of them who are willing to die for me."

Zoe rolled her yellow wolf eyes. Oh please. He needed to get over himself.

"Now I want you to go back, and tell them, that Zetos... Is hunting yet again." When he landed and turned away, she rolled her eyes heavenward, staring at the ceiling as if to ask it why this guy was so arrogant. It's not like he had a right no be. No one did, in her book.

Now if you think this war is stupid, then go ahead and thing that, but until one side is wiped clean of the planet, neither side shall rest, you will keep losing your kind to us, and we will lose ours to yours. I was lucky to escape alive. And I got to keep a memento as well. If you want to leave this place, you will have to leave... A human."

After a moment's hesitation, Zoe shifted back. "Look," She tried to reason, "I'm sorry that the weres messed up your eyes. But not all of us are like that... And I certainly didn't do anything to you. You don't have to be so hateful..." She sighed, lowering her eyes. To be honest, she pitied the vampire in front of her. It must be awful to live like that, swallowed up in your own hate...

She took a bold step towards him. "Why are you like that?" She whispered, walking towards him with growing confidence. "What if I just want to help you?" What he needed was to be loved. He needed some peace. Maybe someone he loved betrayed him, or maybe werewolves killed all his family and friends, but she couldn't understand why he was filled with so much hate.

[Zetos Lapier]

"I'm sorry that the weres messed up your eyes. But not all of us are like that... And I certainly didn't do anything to you. You don't have to be so hateful..."

"You just don't get it do you?" The words were filled with hate, each one meant to strike her. "Even if I didn't hate your kind, I'd still have to do this." His eyes fell to the ground, sorrow flowing through his body, "It's what we must do. No matter what reason we have in mind."

"Why are you like that?"

She had begun to walk towards him, even though she had shifted he didn't care. His hand fell towards the dagger, and another one to the other dagger. A small sigh fell from hi slips.

"What if I just want to help you?"

He listened to the foot falls and anger swept over him, taking over everything in his body. "Don't come near me." His words were a hiss as he pulled out the small dagger, leaving the silver one in it's sheath, he wasn't going to show it, not at that moment in time, only if she pushed him. "Let's get going before I changed my mind." He slipped the dagger back into place, after thinking about it for a second.

[Zoe Taguchi]

"Don't come near me."

Zoe stopped her advance and sighed. She didn't stop because he had pulled out that dagger, no, she didn't care about that. She stopped because he asked her to.

"Let's get going before I changed my mind."

Zoe shrugged, but had to hold back a wince. It still hurt to move her arms around. Where would she go, anyway? She couldn't go home like this, her parents would flip... And she couldn't go to the Old City, she needed more than what they had to get cleaned up. Maybe she could go see Jack... Yeah, that's what she'd do. He was a real sweetie; he was bound to help her out.

As they finally exited the prison in silence (all the way through Zoe had been stared at by guards), she let slip a sigh of relief. "Zetos...?" She ventured, quickening her pace to match his and walk beside him. "Why... Why are we supposed to hate each other?" She asked it so honestly that she sounded like a small child unable to understand the concept of war.

[Zetos Lapier]

"Zetos...?" She ventured, quickening her pace to match his and walk beside him. "Why... Why are we supposed to hate each other?"

Zetos blinked for a second, turning his head towards her, almost confused by her simple infant like curiosity. It was something that he had never expected to hear from a werewolf, instead of snapping back a reply he decided to take some time to think about it. With a deep sigh he turned his head towards her and spoke quietly, almost kindly to the female werewolf. "Well, we have been at war for a long time. Many of us hold grudges for what had happened to our families, and some of us for the things that were done to us."

He moved his hand under his eye wiping away the tear. A small hissing laugh came from deep within his throat. "The world dealt each side a blow below the belt, and now each side is retaliating," his eyes looked forward as he ascended the steps upward, she was beside him, but now he didn't care. "Because of some idiots we all hate each other, and for those in charge like me, we just want to see the other side completely wiped out, or they surrender to us." His words were harsh, "I've had to kill too many werewolves, and sadly none of them were innocent, because it shows me that they want us dead just as much."

[Zoe Taguchi]

For a second, Zoe thought he was going to hit her. But he never did, which surprised her.

"Well, we have been at war for a long time. Many of us hold grudges for what had happened to our families, and some of us for the things that were done to us."

So her hypothesis had been correct. But still... she hated feeling like this. So... down in the dumps. It just wasn't her. Her eyes were trained on him as he explained things she had never even known before, much less thought about. She felt herself saddened when she saw him wipe away a tear. She hadn't meant to make him cry. But then she jumped at his laugh. Did all vampires laugh like that? With that hissing sound in there?

"The world dealt each side a blow below the belt, and now each side is retaliating. Because of some idiots we all hate each other, and for those in charge like me, we just want to see the other side completely wiped out, or they surrender to us."

"But that doesn't make any sense," She protested.

"I've had to kill too many werewolves," Zoe flinched. "And sadly none of them were innocent, because it shows me that they want us dead just as much."

"I don't want you guys wiped out... I don't want anyone wiped out..." It sounded weak in her ears. After all, it wasn't like she could do anything to stop the war... Zoe felt so frustrated, hurt, and sad. So unlike the way she usually was. Part of her wished she still didn't know about all of this, maybe then it wouldn't have to hurt.

She sighed audibly. "It's so stupid..."