RAGE

"How dare you take my life, and make me this!" Dino roared as Thor stood chained to the concrete wall. "I never asked for this."

The others stood silently watching, not daring to speak.

"It was your destiny," he cried out, weakening by the moment.

Dino turned to look at the others. There were four of them. That was all that was left of the vampire nation.

"Pathetic," he threw at them. "You cowered on this planet, allowing your race to fall into demise. I am not responsible for this."

One of them, a red haired woman with bright green eyes said softly, "My Lord, we are prisoners here on this planet. We cannot leave. Many of our kind grew despondent over the centuries and chose death." Dino sucked in some breath. How could he not feel for them? He was one of them. "Why can't you leave, Celia?"

"The air," another said, an ebony skinned man with black eyes. "We cannot breathe the air on any other planet except for this one."

"That is utter nonsense. That is..." he paused, glaring at Thor. "You. You told them this...to keep them here.

Why?"

Thor's head flopped to one side. "At least they are safe here. Outside they would be hunted. With no leader, we..."

"You were their leader," Dino growled. He turned to them. "You may leave here any time. There is nothing wrong with the air on other planets."

Looking at each other, they left the room.

Thor cried after them, "No, my children. You will be hunted."

Dino came closer to him, "Where is Joey?"

"He is no longer Joey. He is Tyler," Thor groaned. "And he has betrayed you. You ignored your destiny.

You were supposed to reign with me. You chose him, and look, he left you here to die. He doesn't love you. I love you, Dino. I was supposed to be your destiny."

Dino sucked in some air. "Transmit to me the memories, the memories of my mortal life with this Tyler.

And Thor, it better be true."

"If I do, you will spare my life?" Thor pleaded.

Dino nodded.

"It doesn't change the fact that you are the Prince of the vampires."

"I know that," he said. "Now, do as I ask. Show me the mortal life you have stolen from me, the life of this Bryce Donovan."

Dino gripped Thor's mind. A steady stream of his life piled back into his memory banks. His birth, his military training from the age of five, his s.e.xual experiences, his rise to Commander of the Sentra military forces, then Tyler Rose. He closed his eyes at the end. He relived their lovemaking, delicious, and then the capture. Finally, Tyler's words, this time coming to him clear and strong. He had used him. He had been Ethan's lover and co-conspirator all along. He had stood aside as Captain Smart had pumped his mortal body full of drugs and used him for his pleasure. Even Tyler had used him.

Finally, Dino released Thor. He placed his hand to his head for a moment. Slowly, he walked over to where Thor was secured and undid his constraints. "Leave this place," he told him, his eyes burning red as he gazed at him. "Don't ever return."

"I won't give up on you, Dino. Until you realise that your place is with me..."

"Go!" Dino's voice thundered, practically shaking the rafters above their heads.

Thor bowed his head and made a hasty retreat from the room.

For days, perhaps even weeks, he sat alone trying to bring together his thoughts. He sustained himself on the Ruby Miracle pills that were stockpiled everywhere on the desolate planet.

He was remembering Joey in their former life, a vampire who had come to kill him...a very old vampire.

He had been beautiful, a replica of Tyler, except his curly black hair had been longer with a purple streak running through it...and he had always worn those earrings, shaped like crosses. He had been wearing them the first time they met.

They had fallen in love and betrayed their possessive masters. They were hunted, trapped in a tower. Then somehow, he had vowed to bring them together again in another life. They had walked out into the sun, looking into each others eyes as they died.

And he had brought them back, through some power he wasn't even aware of, he had managed to propel them both into another time and place where they met again. And although the memories were faint, he believed that he had done it more than once.

But now, those words he had said to him as he was being held prisoner in this house, came back to him.

"Bryce, I need to tell you something. There is no...I mean there never was any...I used you. I distracted you while I conspired with Ethan to overthrow Ruby Miracle. I just couldn't work for Jack. I love Ethan. You understand?"

Dino let out an anguished growl.

He had given Joey his heart, not just for a lifetime, but for eternity. He had given up immortality for him.

Finally, in the guise of Tyler Rose, he had stabbed him directly in the heart. Two thick blood tears made their way over his cheeks. He hastily wiped them away and staggered to his feet. He realised that the Ruby was not enough. He was on his way to being emaciated. He had to eat. There was no more time for tears.

Although the vampires had murdered Modem, Smart and their henchmen; they had set Tyler Rose free. He knew that Thor had provided him with a s.p.a.ce craft, and that he had returned to Ruby City.

Dino walked out onto the darkened planet. It was strange to feel such solitude. He couldn't remember feeling so alone, except maybe just after he had been transformed, before Joey had came into his life. Now, that feeling had returned. His keen eyes scanned the star filled sky, then he raised up his arms and embraced the night.

VAMPIRES IN RUBY CITY

Tyler sat at a private table in the corner of the ManBar with Ryan. His bodyguards, Hughie, Dewey, and Lewie, as he had come to call them, stood a few feet away.

"Are you alright, Tyler?" Ryan took a sip of his drink and gave his friend a concerned look.

Tyler sighed. "I'm fed up with being followed around everywhere. I just wish the three stooges over there would get a life."

"You know it's necessary, especially considering the recent rash of murders in the city. It might be related to Modem or..."

"Modem is dead, and so are his mobsters."

"You know what the military told you. As soon as they get one, someone else springs up to..."

"Yea, I know," Tyler said, looking down at his hands. This was the first night in over six weeks that he had even attempted going out. It was useless. He missed Bryce. He thought about him trapped there on that planet every waking minute. Several times he had planned an escape, trying to harness a craft so that he could set course for C-Forty five, but these body guards had eyes in the back of their heads. He couldn't catch a break.

Ryan took his hand. "I know how much you love Bryce, but if you could just let go of him, Tyler. Listen, I know it's probably not the time but Tyler, I...well, I think we'd make a good pair. I've always wanted to be with you. You know that."

Tyler smiled at him. "Thanks, Ryan. I love you too but, as a friend."

Ryan swallowed and looked a way for a second. When he turned back to him to say something, Seth Murdock of the Sky Police was standing in front of them.

"Sir," he said, giving Tyler a little salute.

Tyler gave him a look of irritation. "This is not the time, Murdock." He wasn't one of his biggest fans anyway. He suspected that he and Bryce had slept together.

"I'm sorry, sir," Seth cleared his throat. It felt quite ridiculous to address this little jerk as Sir, but like it or not, he was now the man. "Commander Carter needs to speak with you right away. It's urgent."

Tyler got reluctantly up from his seat. Everyone watched him as he walked out, followed by his entourage of body guards and a sky police officer.

"I think I can ensure his security," Murdock said briskly to the body guards as they all attempted to crawl into Murdock's Patrol vehicle.

"It's alright," Tyler told them.

The three men nodded, one announcing that they would be following them in their own vehicle.

Tyler sighed as he crawled in beside Murdock. As they left the parking s.p.a.ce and headed up into the sky, Murdock said abruptly, "Now that we're alone, I think I need to tell you that I find it a d.a.m.n shame that Bryce gave his life for yours."

"Oh, really?" Tyler looked over at him. "Bryce, is it?"

Seth glanced back at him. "Commander Donovan was an honourable man and he was d.a.m.n good..."

"...in bed?" Tyler sneered.

"I wouldn't know," Seth replied stiffly. "The Commander was a professional soldier. He was too honourable to engage in s.e.xual activity with his officers."

"But I bet you gave it try," Tyler mocked.

Seth sighed. "I did, yes. But, you can't really blame me. You wanted him yourself."

"It was a bit more complicated than that." Tyler cleared his throat. He closed his eyes for a second, remembering the huge military service they had for him. The only thing that kept him standing on his feet that day was knowing he still existed on The Planet of the d.a.m.ned, even if he was probably Thor's lover.

Seth fell quiet.

As Tyler followed him through the Sky Police Terminal, he remembered being brought here by Bryce. He could almost feel his hand on his shoulder as he steered him down the hall.

The terminal was crowded with soldiers tonight. Since having been dispatched to Ruby City, the military was sharing the facility with the police.

Commander Sam Carter met Tyler in the hallway in front of the office Bryce had once occupied. The name Bryce Donovan was still on the door.

She gave Murdock a look of dismissal, and then ushered Tyler into the office and closed the door.

Tyler looked at her, taking a chair. "What is it, Commander? I'm not that happy about being dragged over here at this time of night?"

"I'm sorry, Sir, but as you know there have been seven murders in Ruby City in the last three weeks. Until now, we have kept the details under wraps. We don't want to panic the population."

Tyler sucked in some air. "But now?"

"Do you remember the discussion we had right after you returned from C-Forty Five?"

"Yes?" Tyler leaned forward in his seat.

"We spoke about..." she paused, "vampires."

"Yes," Tyler scarcely dared breath.

"Well, the bodies we have recovered seemed to have expired by...well, there has been a substantial loss of blood and..."

"The blood has been sucked out of them?" Tyler raised an eyebrow.

She nodded.

Tyler sat back in the chair. He was feeling a mixture of fear and euphoria. It could only mean one thing.

Thor had lied to him. Vampires could survive elsewhere.

"Sir?" She gave him an inquiring look.

Tyler stood up. "I want them captured, these vampires and brought to me. I don't want you to hurt them."

"Sir, with all due respect, I don't believe they are the vulnerable ones. I'm not sure we are dealing with living beings here. I'm not sure how you capture one, let alone kill one."

"I'll talk with some of the scientists at Ruby. I'm sure they could come up with some answers for you."

"Well, please don't wait too long. We believe that there is more than one. They could potentially depopulate the entire planet." Although she wore her military face, Tyler could tell that she was tense.