When Himchan and Hyosung said that Changmin was going crazy and that he’d lost his mind, Ryeowook fully expected him to be yelling or at least frothing at the mouth.  What he got was an intensely agitated but completely in control of himself vampire speaking quietly to every willing wolf that would listen.  Even more frightening though was that some of them were listening if the gleam in their eyes was any indication.  And not just the individual members of each pack, but some of the pack leaders as well.

                Ryeowook took one look between N who already seemed intimidated by Changmin, and Kyuhyun, who simply seemed exhausted, and knew exactly which one would be approaching the other vampire since the wolves themselves seemed compromised.  Too many were leaning towards favoring Changmin, or were otherwise indisposed, keeping those who would prefer him not to speak from interfering.  Not surprisingly, though Ryeowook didn’t expect the lump of nervous fear that lodged itself in his throat, Kyuhyun brushed past him to quickly approach the taller male very much as if he belonged there.

                “Changmin,” he called softly, his voice in complete control despite the abuse of his body he’d recently put it through.

                At the sound of his name, the vampire paused and turned slowly to eye Kyuhyun while he approached, allowing the other male to draw closer without complaint.  “Don’t.”  Such a small and simple command followed by the barest shake of his head, and Ryeowook felt a dreadful sense of tension blossom between them.

                “What are you doing, Min?” Kyuhyun asked tiredly, opening his hands in a broad question.

                “What do you think?” Changmin retorted sharply, his tone barely rising above a whisper.  He didn’t bother to brush the loose strand of hair that worked itself free from his face and simply let it fall over his eye as he glared at the other vampire, all wiry tension and restrained anger.

                Kyuhyun took a few steps closer and Ryeowook watched as Changmin pulled himself to his full height while nearly every eye in the room focused on the two vampires.  The change in atmosphere made him unaccountably nervous and he gasped slightly when N let his wrist go to clasp his hands together in front of his face, watching intently with wide, nervous eyes.  “She wouldn’t want this,” Kyuhyun murmured softly, holding his ground a few feet from his elder.

                Changmin barked a harsh laugh with no mirth and shifted to regard Kyuhyun with the full weight of his displeasure.  “You wouldn’t even begin to know what she would want.”

                “I know of her exploits,” Kyuhyun explained evenly, not backing down, though even he flinched when his words engendered a passionate response from the other male.

                “But you didn’t know her!” Changmin growled as fiercely as any wolf would, hands balling into shaking fists at his side while his expression became a fierce mask of outraged anger.

                No one said anything, though some of the wolves that appeared sympathetic to Changmin quietly drifted closer to his side.  Among their number was Seunghyun, Yunho, and several of those beneath them, as well as a handful of hesitant wolves who were supposed to be more aligned with the protection of humans, as far as Ryeowook knew.  “Not well,” Kyuhyun conceded with a sharp nod as he took another half step towards his companion.

                With effort, Changmin forced himself to relax marginally, releasing some of the tension in his frame.  “She said to take care of them,” he explained evenly, though his tone lacked the vibrancy of normal speech.

                “That’s not what she meant and you know it,” the Cho growled in irritation.

                “Maybe not,” Changmin admitted with a wry twist of his mouth.  “But does it not amount to the same thing?”

                Kyuhyun glanced around the room and firmed his shoulders, though it was clear exhaustion weighed heavily upon him.  “So you attack the humans then.  Strike back and hurt them any way you can because that’s your solution,” he muttered disdainfully.

                “Hurt them, yes,” Changmin interrupted before Kyuhyun could go on, his voice like steel.  “I will pay them back for every injury they have suffered us to have, but you know they won’t do it again if I get my hands on them,” he promised savagely, his expression dark and foreboding.

                “Will you split our forces to satisfy your vengeance?” Kyuhyun demanded icily, his tone unforgiving.

                Changmin didn’t rise to the bait.  “I take no one who is unwilling to come with me.  I will go alone if I must but I hardly think you would just sit by and watch.”

                “ you, Shim,” Kyuhyun hissed, finally clenching his hands into fists at his side.

                “You’re a cold, calculating bastard, Kyu.  But you won’t let me, or others, go into a situation I know next to nothing about,” Changmin taunted him with a superior tone, one brow raised expectantly.  “Especially not now.”

                “Stay here, Min,” Kyuhyun murmured softly, his voice so very tired.  “Give me time and we can figure something out,” he hissed almost desperately, a fragment of his control slipping.

                “There is no more time, Kyu.  You know that,” Changmin scoffed in a derogatory manner.  He raised his voice to address the rest of the gathering, though in the silence all would have heard him if he spoke in a whisper.  “Do you think the humans will stop here?!” he demanded angrily, arms thrown wide as he spoke to them all.  “This was only a test!  A stupid attempt to wipe us out that failed.  This time!” he reminded them angrily, his expression savage and every bit the monster humans claimed vampires to be.  “How many more of us must die before we take action against them?!”

                “They’re doing this because we tried to blow them up first, remember?” Junsu stepped forward with an angry glower at the vampire, not swayed by his argument.

                Changmin’s responding laugh was hardly reassuring and Ryeowook felt a dreadful shiver run up his spine.  He wished he wasn’t standing practically out in the open with only N nearby but he knew if he moved, he would only draw more attention to himself and he desperately wanted to avoid that right now.  “Do you honestly think this is any different than the witch hunts and monster raids they held centuries ago?!” Changmin snarled with his fingers crooked into savage claws.  “When the mere rumor of our kind sent dozens after our hides whether we were guilty or not?”

                “This is different!” Junsu retorted angrily, tension writ in every muscle of his body.

                “Is it?” Changmin demanded, raking his gaze across those gathered.  “You wolves know nothing about that time,” he scowled, letting his eyes finally land on N alone, who ducked his head with a pained expression, refusing to meet the elder vampire’s gaze.  “You know and yet you say nothing!” he growled, turning his back on the vampire as N flinched and hunched in on himself further.

                “Because those hunts nearly wiped us out,” Kyuhyun reminded him as the historical voice of reason.

                “With nothing more than crude hand weapons and paltry projectiles.  Not remote detonation devices and genetically engineered illnesses.  Never mind their high powered weaponry and advanced tracking systems,” Changmin commented as his eyes landed on the Hunters who met his gaze evenly, though they dare not move a muscle.  “I will not go through that again!” he roared angrily.

                “Even so, they still outnumber us,” Yoochun finally murmured with a dark expression on his face.  “What could we ever hope to do against so many?  Even with the ones that you managed to destroy or weaken?” he muttered with no sense of apology.

                “So we just sit here then?  Wait for them to finish us off?” Yunho growled, throwing his lot in with the vampire undeniably.

                “No!” Kyuhyun snapped with all the outrage he could muster, still only a few feet from Changmin himself.  “But running blindly after them in a suicidal attempt at vengeance is not the answer!” he hissed, glaring straight at the taller vampire.

                Ryeowook found himself shrinking back just a bit when Changmin’s expression became menacing and those dark eyes took on an eerie shimmer.  “Will you stop me, Kyu?  Can you?” he taunted just as jeeringly as all those present felt the tension center on those two.  “I will leave at sunset,” he promised intently without flinching in the least.  “By myself if I must.”

                “Stay,” Kyuhyun murmured softly, his head shaking minimally.

                “Make me,” Changmin challenged, done with games.  Almost as if a silent command was given, the entire gathering around him and Kyuhyun pulled back.  They didn’t go far but there was a definite shift in the atmosphere.

                Kyuhyun’s fingers twitched beside him, sparks dancing at the tips, and he sneered confidently, though Ryeowook at least could tell he was not himself.  The usual smirk appeared, but his body had none of its typical strength or posturing.  “If I must,” he commented, beginning to circle around Changmin at a pitifully slow pace.

                “Kyu…” Kangin murmured in quiet warning while he clung to Himchan and Hyosung for support.

                Both vampires ignored him entirely and Ryeowook barely noticed the change in the Shim as he gathered himself to attack.  Clasping his hands together tightly, he watched in breathless fear as the pair closed with Changmin on the offensive immediately.  They clashed together and held firm for half a second, glaring at each other.  But then he saw Kyuhyun gathering energy for an attack only… Changmin was no longer there anymore.  Before Kyuhyun could even get the charge off, Changmin broke the contact and in his opponent’s brief moment of weakness, he struck.

                “Kyu!” Ryeowook gasped with his heart in his throat when he saw Kyuhyun reeling backward from a claw strike that savaged one side of his face.

                “Wait!” N hissed, latching onto Ryeowook’s wrist when he would have gone further, but he trembled where he stood as he watched Kyuhyun crumple to the floor, almost completely spent.

                Changmin approached Kyuhyun swiftly and placed one foot firmly on the Cho’s hand on the ground, palm against the floor, glaring down at him while blood seeped slowly from the wounds on his face.  He leaned close and spoke in a voice that was just loud enough for the nonhumans to hear for sure, “When you have lost someone that you’ve spent centuries with… that was willing to protect you with their life at any time, and did more times than you can count.  When you lose someone who is the only reason you are here today… then, you can tell me what to do,” Changmin muttered frankly, his dark eyes holding Kyuhyun’s without wavering.

                “I still think you’re a fool,” Kyuhyun whispered as the hand under Changmin’s foot twitched.

                “Be that as it may,” Changmin conceded with a partial nod.  “You will use your power one more time to give me a target.”

                “And if I don’t?” Kyuhyun defied softly.

                “Oh…” the Shim managed a erse smile that did not reach his eyes.  “Don’t test me, Kyu.”

                There was absolutely no reason for Ryeowook to personally feel afraid or threatened, but he did and the feeling only increased the longer the stalemate lasted.  With great reluctance, Kyuhyun closed his eyes and nodded once.  “One more time.”

                Relief flooded through the entire room as Changmin retracted his foot and stepped back, regarding the rest of the room.  His eyes landed on the Hunters once more with a completely different expression and he asked, “Will you come too?”

                Yongguk shook his head immediately as Mir looked slightly conflicted.  “We’ll help deal with the monsters, but not the ones that created them.”

                Changmin smirked at the unspoken ‘yet’ that lingered at the end of the sentence.  “If they succeed in finishing us off, who do you think they’ll go after next?” he asked pointedly, letting his gaze linger on Yongguk’s.

                “Time will tell,” the Hunter murmured softly, maintaining his non-threatening posture.  With a bark of laughter, Changmin nodded in understanding before he turned his attention elsewhere.

                As soon as there was space enough to get close without being too near Changmin, Ryeowook, and the rest of the vampires surged towards Kyuhyun who pushed himself into a weak sitting position.  “Kyu!” Ryeowook gasped, practically falling to the ground beside him as he tentatively placed his fingers against the torn cheek where sluggish drops of blood welled free to drip down his chin.

                “I’m fine,” he winced before he grabbed Ryeowook’s hand lightly and turned his head to the side, not meeting the half-turned’s gaze.

                “Fine my ,” N scoffed, kneeling close to get a better look himself.  Hastily, he ripped a strip of his shirt free and wiped at the torn flesh, cleaning the worst of the blood off to reveal clean slashes beneath that would heal over quickly in time, just not right now in his exhausted state.

                “You’re just as spent as I am, even if you are better at hiding it,” Kangin grumbled while his fingers held tightly to the shoulders of his supporters.  The knuckles were white where they gripped though neither vampire complained.

                Kyuhyun ignored the comment and rubbed at his forehead with long fingers instead.  “He means to take the able bodied wolves, and whoever else will go with him, to at least one of the sources of our attackers.  There are several after all.”

                “But that’s crazy,” Ryeowook frowned, looking around worriedly while he saw more faces becoming interested in Changmin’s plan.

                “I know,” Kyuhyun nodded once and laughed.

                “You’re in no condition to help him,” Kangin mumbled thickly, his ability to speak clearly reduced somewhat from their efforts of the day.

                “I’m the only one who can,” he responded, tapping his head with his index finger before he looked up to squint at Changmin with a fiercely thoughtful expression.

                “Kyu,” Ryeowook murmured, grabbing Kyuhyun’s hand in his as he held it close to his chest and peered at the vampire worriedly.  “You need rest.”

                “We all do,” he sighed without arguing.  With slow blinks, he turned his gaze to N instead and murmured, “Is the communication desk up and running again?”

                “Ne…” N answered dejectedly, knowing there was little point in lying about it.

                “Okay,” Kyuhyun nodded, slowly pushing himself to his feet so he could wander towards it.  He ignored the wolves and humans nearby and simply set his sights on his goal while Ryeowook stayed close.  If he wasn’t infected, he would demand Kyuhyun eat, from him if nothing else, but judging by Kangin’s appearance, even werewolf blood had its limits when they were using their abilities over and over again.  All he could do was stay nearby and offer support while he cast worried glances back at JR who seemed nervous about something else with the possessed.

                Frustratingly, there was too much going on to make heads or tails of all of it.  Kyuhyun settled in to hack the system again so he could find out a specific location while Changmin continued his recruitment and JR just looked lost.  Even with the various conversations, it didn’t take long to see the loyalty shifts or reinforcements among the packs in particular.  Aside from Changmin, the vampires universally refused to fall in with his plan, but the wolves were considerably more fractured.

                Yunho and Seunghyun were all for following along to ensure vengeance for themselves and they weren’t the only ones.  Furious with Hongbin’s injury, Sunny, the other short female Ryeowook had seen before, demanded she be allowed to go as well.  Additionally, a member of the Han pack, Geng, volunteered to go, much to Sanghyuk’s disapproval, though he didn’t refuse to let him.  Daehyun wasn’t much of a surprise though Wonsik from Junsu’s pack was.  Any injured wolves, humans in general, or wolf-kin were barred from coming, though Changmin did set his sights upon the possessed particularly harshly.

                With a sick, roiling sensation in the pit of his stomach, Ryeowook watched as the four convened and spoke, or practically argued, among themselves.  It looked as if Ken and Baekho were refused outright but Chaerin and Daesung spoke heatedly between each other, neither backing down.  “Every war party needs a healer,” N scowled when he noticed Ryeowook’s direction of focus.  “Poor bastards.”

                There were tears in her eyes as Chaerin tried to explain her standing against Daesung, all the while gesturing emphatically at her brother, but their conversation ended somewhat differently than Ryeowook expected.  When it seemed they were getting nowhere, Chaerin’s demeanor changed entirely and Ryeowook thought there might be blood spilled; he flinched as he saw her attack Daesung aggressively, dropping him to the ground with a knife at his throat in an unmistakable threatening gesture.  It didn’t take him more than half a second to realize L. Joe must have taken over and really… in that light, she was the best choice.  Who else did they have that could heal and fight as well as she could?

                Ryeowook’s heart nearly broke when they eased apart, point proven, and Chaerin came back to herself with a look of confusion while Ken simply clung to her and sobbed.  She took a shaky breath and managed to piece together what happened before she embraced him desperately.  He wanted to go to JR then especially, but he saw his brother was hugging Baekho just as tightly as the other male was hugging him.  There was no room for him there, especially when Daesung shifted closer to envelop them both in his arms.  Perhaps that was better after all.  They were completely humans, even if they were possessed, and uninfected…

                The latter thought made Ryeowook swallow in concern as he inched closer to Kyuhyun who appeared utterly absorbed in his work.  Sparks jumped over his skin and the complexion itself had a color Ryeowook did not associate with good tidings.  His gaze drifted to Kangin who was ignoring the commentary of Himchan and Hyosung as they sat with him propped between them, leaning around the larger figure.  He was focused on Changmin while his index nail traced back and forth across the skin of his bottom lip.  If he pressed much harder, he’d probably draw blood, but the vampire didn’t seem to notice at all.  With N trying to assist Kyuhyun any way he could, Ryeowook felt free enough to act just a bit.

                “Kangin?” he asked, leaning over to try and catch the vampire’s eyes carefully.

                It took a moment for him to respond and then he blinked quickly, as if coming back from a long distance.  “I’m going with him.”

                For the briefest of moments, Ryeowook was completely confused and even Himchan and Hyosung stopped talking to regard their companion in bafflement.  Then the half-turned looked between Changmin and Kangin and his eyes widened in denial.  “But…  Why?” he asked in a quiet voice, only vaguely aware of the way Kyuhyun’s actions slowed so that he might hear better, though he never took his eyes from his task.

                “Don’t misunderstand me,” Kangin murmured wearily, his shoulders bent under the weight of his choice.  “I don’t want to,” he promised with a firm nod.  “But their party is doomed before it even leaves here if one of us doesn’t join em for now.  And there’s no telling when he’ll find another Cho to drag along.”

                “No, Kangin,” Himchan shook his head as he grabbed hold of the other vampire’s arm and held tight with both hands, staring at him.

                “You already know it’s suicide,” Hyosung reminded him around pursed lips as she rested a hand on his shoulder.

                He shook his head and corrected, “Suicidal.  It will be suicide if they hit another party like the ones that attacked us and there’s no one to treat em.”

                “It’d be their own damn fault for going,” Himchan grumbled, still holding tight.

                Kangin surprised them all though when he shook his head.  “No.  I think it’s more than just vengeance,” he sighed heavily.  “Yes, he’s angry.  We all are,” he reminded them with a of his lips.  “But if he takes the fight to the humans with a strong enough force, they’ll have to deal with him.  Or try at least.  And when they do, they won’t be able to focus on… us,” he explained with a nod towards the rest of the survivors: wounded, maimed, and humans who wouldn’t be very good in a fight.

                The typing sound stopped altogether with a heavy sigh from Kyuhyun who slouched over the panel while whole tendrils of electricity skittered over his form somewhat alarmingly.  His eyes were closed but they all knew he was conscious.  “So you have been paying attention.”

                “Well I’m not stupid,” Kangin muttered flatly, though there was concern in his voice when he got a better look at his friend.

                “You are a Cho after all,” Kyuhyun nodded in agreement, turning his head to the side to get a glimpse of them.  His eyes were flat and seemed so very hollow… like the rice paper quality of his skin which appeared as if it might shatter at any moment.  He blinked at them once, shoulders rising as if he took a breath, but on the exhale, his entire body slowly shifted… and he did nothing to catch himself.

                “Kyu!” Ryeowook gasped, lurching to catch him in his arms before he could hit the ground.  Grabbing onto his frame, Kyuhyun felt far more fragile then he should have as Ryeowook gently guided them both to the floor while N shoved the chair out of the way and moved close.

                “Kyuhyun?” he asked, reaching down to grab the vampire’s face in his hands as the other three sat by the side with wide eyes, utterly motionless.

                “It’s done,” the wispy voice hissed past dry lips.

                Thoroughly alarmed now, Ryeowook held Kyuhyun tighter and looked over his form.  There was nothing outwardly wrong with him save the claw marks on his face which had made no progress in healing.  N however, stood up and lurched towards the communication desk to look it over, brow furrowed in concentration as he tried to make sense of what Kyuhyun was talking about.  Ryeowook’s back itched as if someone was looking at him but when he looked over, he tensed up seeing many eyes upon them.  His nerves wound tighter still when he noticed Changmin heading their way.

                “Cho?” the taller vampire commented softly when he closed the distance.

                Defensively, Ryeowook held Kyuhyun against his chest with one arm while he braced his body above Kyuhyun’s like a barrier with his other, looking over his shoulder at the Shim.  He couldn’t help the tremor that settled in his form but he dared not move after what happened before.  “Leave him alone,” he whispered instead, swallowing harshly when he saw Changmin’s eyes flicker with just a hint of amusement.  A fight between them would be no contest, they both knew, but Changmin left him alone and regarded N when the other vampire gasped in surprise.

                “What is it?” he murmured though he stayed back far enough that he wasn’t touching the Cha.

                “Oh, he found you a location alright,” N murmured appreciatively which spoke volumes more about what he wasn’t saying.  “Several.”  He turned to look down at the nearly unconscious vampire in Ryeowook’s arms, managing a wry smile as he shook his head.  “Damn overachiever,” he muttered, looking up to hold Changmin’s gaze.  “He compiled a damn good list of confirmed vampires and werewolves, accessed their phone numbers and email addresses, and sent them a message.”  Almost angrily, he shoved a hastily scribbled set of coordinates at Changmin who flinched when he clutched the paper to his chest.  “Don’t be surprised if you have friends waiting for you,” he hissed, turning his back to attend to Kyuhyun who was determinedly clinging to consciousness by the barest of measures.

                Changmin regarded Kyuhyun around Ryeowook’s defensive posture with a pained smile.  “Lying, little ,” he huffed once.  His gaze drifted to the half-turned and he looked at him with narrowed, thoughtful eyes.  “Have you made your choice then?”

                Ryeowook took a small breath and swallowed again but offered no answer; he merely maintained his quiet vigil over Kyuhyun who reached up to wrap incredibly weak fingers around his upper arm.  “I’m here, Kyu,” he whispered reassuringly, diverting his attention from Changmin only as long as it took to speak down at the vampire before he returned his focus.

                “I see,” Changmin smiled, a barely there but genuine expression.  “Thank you,” he whispered, directing his words and his gaze towards Kyuhyun who didn’t even deign to respond.  A glance up showed the light beginning to fade, though it would take some time yet before it was full dark.  “Jinki, Sungmin, Minzy, and Zhoumi should be returning soon,” he explained evenly, looking at N as the temporary leader figure.  “Take care of them,” he murmured with a minimal bow before he turned to speak with the wolves again.

                Ryeowook watched him go with a feeling of relief which quickly traned into concern again as he sat back to stare at Kyuhyun who looked particularly dreadful.  “Kyu?” he asked, reaching his free hand to touch against the uninjured part of his face so he could see him if he opened his eyes.

                It seemed an eternity before the dark lashes fluttered open, revealing disoriented brown orbs beneath.  With some difficulty, they focused on the face above him and Kyuhyun whispered, “You’re still here.”  There was exhausted pain in his tone, but what hit Ryeowook hardest was the wonderment therein; the sense of disbelief that he would be there at all.

                Knowing the vampire might be confused since his usage of power, Ryeowook nodded and his lips.  “Who am I?” he asked so softly he wasn’t even sure Kyuhyun would hear him.

                For a long moment, Kyuhyun just looked at him as if he was searching for the answer.  One shaky hand rose to trace the outline of Ryeowook’s face before it dropped to press against the half-turned’s chest.  Brown eyes narrowed, blinked twice, and then a slow half-smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.  “Wookie.”

                Ryeowook’s heart clenched at the confirmation and he felt tears well on his lashes unaccountably.  He bit his bottom lip hard and nodded quickly.  “Ne.  I’m still here,” he promised softly, reaching up to grab Kyuhyun’s hand against his chest as he held it against him tightly, offering what reassurance he could.  An alarming bolt of panic shot through him though when Kyuhyun’s eyes closed and he went limp in his hold.  “Kyu?!” he gasped, tensing up again.

                “Easy,” Kangin soothed from a couple feet away.  “His body’s in shutdown mode,” he explained gently.  “It’ll be alright eventually but he needs rest.”

                “Are you sure?  How can you tell?” Ryeowook asked, realizing an unconscious vampire looked pretty much exactly like a dead one.

                “We can tell,” N promised as he slowly squatted in front of Kyuhyun, tracing strands of his bangs back from his face to get a better glimpse of his visage.  “Give him time.  He’ll need his strength when we start moving ourselves,” he explained, though his eyes jumped to inspect Ryeowook’s neck injury before he looked away, an unreadable expression on his face.

                By strength of will alone, Ryeowook kept himself from reaching to touch the fading injury.  He wanted to give Kyuhyun all the time in the world if he could, but he just didn’t know how much he had left himself…

(a/n: Confrontation!  And more limits reached.  But hopefully that clears up a bit more of Changmin's reasoning.  I haven't forgotten Ryeowook's infection and we're making headway towards a greater shift.  I just had to get that schism bit out of the way.  We've more to come though so sit tight and thank you so much for reading!)