[@The Grey Dust][@BurningCold][@Legion-114][@pure darkness][@thewizardguy][@remipa awesome]

Mithias stood up from his one knee. Among all the vampires present, he had been the only one that had knelt. Of course he hadn't been affected by Gabriel's psychic commands, nor had he felt any fear of his father. He did it of his own volition. In truth, Mithias would confess anything to the antediluvian lord, even if it meant his own death, for so much did he owe the one that had given him the power to save his entire human legacy. 

In any case, Gabriel would always find out the truth, one way or another. Mithias knew that anything he ever did or said in the presence of another mind was subject to his fathers review eventually, and that constant knowledge kept him quite honest. A steady gaze confirmed what Gabriel had read from Bedivere's memory. 
 
Nonetheless, the son's gesture was sincere, especially now that Mithias stood in witness of something he thought he would never see, that his self-indulgent, heartless, and cowardly father had been moved into action. A light had been sparked in those ancient, grim eyes, and Mithias knew that he had been the one to ignite it. It was incredible, stunning, and he was proud... yet at the same time, a bolt of terror ran through the young vampire. A fear crept up in the back of his throat, threatening to to be spoken aloud, that he had inspired this great god to put his own life at risk. If Gabriel was killed by joining this stupid war, then it would be Mithias' fault. That was something Mithias didn't think he could live with. He had to protect him. 

Learning that Church was his brother by blood was also surprising. Mithias beheld the wheelchair bound vampire in new light and with new concern. Perhaps he was a bit of a self righteous jerk, but Mithias held family in unfairly high esteem. The news made him even more curious as to the Director's origins, especially in regard to his permanently injured condition. It was like the scar on his father's countenance, the one that he kept hidden from all eyes and never spoke of. Mithias would never dare ask about it, for the sheer look of doom that followed any line of thinking in that direction was nightmare-inducing. Church had been vague about how he had been broken, but perhaps he would open up more honestly now to his "little brother." 

Little time did Mithias have to dwell on that revelation when Bedivere dropped a fucking hammer. He turned around in true shock and blinked at the old knight in disbelief. "You, killed them??" Mithias had never thought that his brother knight would do such a thing, much less *could* do such a thing. Bedivere's lethality was far more than Mithias had realized, and had he not just been spared mere moments ago, even Mithias would have been struck more by fear than by confusion. His gold eyes flicked across Bedivere searchingly. Was Bedivere crazy? Angry? True, most of the vampires in the council were terrors to humankind and surely deserved their deaths, and true it was that the world was better off without them, but... What would become of vampirekind without elders to guide them? Mithias wavered between both sides of the argument. Perhaps destroying the vampires that had driven the war with humans had been for the best. Their warmongering had ultimately resulted in the decimation of vampirekind and might yet lead it its extinction. "There are so few of us left, and so many are so young and weak. I fear for our survival, dear brother. Was there no other way?" 

Centuries ago, Mithias would have dreamed of doing the same thing, to rid the world of the most powerful and heinous vampire lords, yet now, with the wisdom of time and reflection, did he see the folly in that goal. Bedivere and the Purge were far better at vampire-hunting that Mithias had ever been. He knew what Bedivere's answer would be. Culling the worst of their own was the only way. 

Mithias looked back to Gabriel, hoping for an answer, an explanation, to be brought up to speed and included in his sire's plans. He had so many questions. 

Then, suddenly the flicker of a presence very close to him triggered Mithias to spin and target his shadow. His white clawed hand shot out into the blackness, and without a word or any hesitation, he grabbed the neck of Victor and yanked him upward to dangle before everyone in his grasp. Mithias narrowed his vivid yellow eyes at the shadow walker in contemptuous curiosity.