Selene stood stiffly in the study, the two Dragon Balls still on Victor's desk. A new thought suddenly connected. "Father," she said, her voice tight, "John Wick in New York had two Dragon Balls a year ago. He's now a member of the Fraternity. According to our intelligence, he appears to function primarily as Smith Doyle's driver."
Victor's interest sharpened. He picked up the one-star ball, his gaze thoughtful. "Could Smith Doyle's strength have been gained by making a wish with the Dragon Balls?"
Selene shook her head. "That shouldn't be possible. We have both the three-star and five-star balls, but we can't get wish yet."
Victor considered the memories Selene had transmitted, the strange story of how she obtained the first one. "Tell me exactly how you acquired your first one. Every detail."
Selene recounted the discovery. How it had originally been a dull stone she brought back. How it had transformed into the orange sphere only recently.
Victor processed this, his ancient mind sifting through millennia of experience, looking for patterns. "Selene, consider this. What if after a wish is granted, the Dragon Balls turn to stone and scatter across the world? They would need time to recharge their power."
He placed the Dragon Ball back on the desk. "When did information first surface about John Wick possessing Dragon Balls?"
"About a year ago."
"And when did the Fraternity's leader, Smith Doyle, first demonstrate his extraordinary abilities?"
"Six months ago."
Selene's eyes widened. The implication was immediate and stunning. "Father, do you really think Smith Doyle's strength comes from the Dragon Balls?"
Victor smiled, a cold, analytical expression. "It's certainly possible. Though it's equally possible the Fraternity is simply collecting Dragon Balls for future use. After all, these spheres would be nearly impossible to locate without special methods."
Fifteen hundred years of experience had taught Victor to see patterns others missed. His theory wasn't quite correct, but it was remarkably close to the truth.
"Now then," Victor said, turning from the desk. "Don't keep our guests waiting. Have someone open the doors."
Selene nodded and moved to a console, activating the remote controls. Far above, the castle's heavy outer electronic gate swung open with a hydraulic whine. In the grand entrance hall, two vampires stationed in the deep shadows put their shoulders to the massive inner doors and slowly pushed them outward.
The ancient hinges groaned in protest. For the first time in what might have been a century, a brilliant, warm shaft of sunlight spilled into the castle entrance, illuminating dust motes in the cold, still air.
Outside, Alexei observed the opening doors with a look of approval. "Seems we're quite famous. These vampires are welcoming us during the day. I thought we'd have to wait until nightfall."
Mr. X's tone was measured, his gaze fixed on the dark interior. "Even if they don't respect us personally, they must respect the leader."
They walked up the steps and into the castle. The moment they crossed the threshold, the vampires behind them strained to close the heavy doors, sealing out every trace of sunlight. The hall was plunged back into dim, artificial light.
Only then did other vampires emerge from the shadowed alcoves and upper galleries where they'd been hiding.
Victor appeared at the top of the grand staircase, Selene at his side. He applauded politely, the slow, measured sound echoing in the vast, cold space. "Welcome, Judge and Elder of the Fraternity. This castle hasn't received guests in quite some time."
Mr. X studied the man before him, comparing the face to ancient Fraternity records and the briefing from Smith. "Lord Victor. After more than a thousand years, you look exactly as young as your portrait."
Victor seemed genuinely surprised. "I'm impressed the Fraternity still maintains records from that era. Quite remarkable."
He descended the stairs with a fluid, regal grace. "I understand why you're here. I'll have my people cooperate fully with your investigation."
He gestured to an elaborate conference table set off to the side of the hall. "Please, have a seat." He called over his shoulder, his voice echoing slightly. "Soren, bring up the documentation for our guests to review."
Seeing their hosts' complete cooperation, Mr. X and Alexei took seats at the conference table.
Selene activated her scouter, a quiet beep sounding near her ear. She studied the two Fraternity representatives. She had purchased several of the devices after they'd been released but rarely wore them. Today seemed like an appropriate occasion.
Mr. X registered at eight combat power points. The absolute ceiling for ordinary humans. Nothing remarkable.
Then she locked onto Alexei. The display in her eye flickered, calculated, and settled. Fifty combat power points.
She leaned close to Victor's ear, her voice a low whisper. "Father, the one on the right has reached fifty points."
Victor kept his expression neutral, his polite smile never wavering, though internally he was rapidly reassessing the situation. Fortunate that he had no intention of starting a conflict. Selene, his strongest Death Dealer, registered at only eighteen points. Victor himself, freshly awakened and powerful, measured thirty.
This man before them had fifty. Victor remembered what Selene had explained about the scouters. A difference of 1.3 times meant one-sided domination. Like how Victor himself crushed ordinary werewolves.
Soren arrived, his arms laden with a stack of files and binders nearly as tall as he was. He placed them on the conference table with a heavy thud.
Mr. X gestured at the mountain of documents. "Lord Victor, I need to understand your food supply chain and production methods."
Victor didn't hesitate. "Selene, explain how we obtain blood."
Selene stepped forward, all business. She produced the top files concerning Ziodex Industries and laid them before the two Fraternity representatives.
"Vampires can only consume blood," she began, her voice crisp. "All other foods become unbearable in our systems. To survive, we rely on a synthetic blood plasma. Our primary source is a company we secretly control—Ziodex Industries. While Ziodex maintains a public-facing business as a legitimate pharmaceutical or biotech corporation, its true, hidden purpose is to manufacture this synthetic plasma to serve as our food supply. This allows us to operate from the shadows and reduces our reliance on hunting humans.
She pushed another file forward. "The accusation of imprisoning humans as blood slaves is therefore baseless."
Mr. X and Alexei began to review the documentation. The company's scale was impressive, the logistics meticulously detailed. It was more than sufficient to support the entire vampire population with a massive surplus t o spare.
Victor watched them with a knowing, almost condescending smile. "The Fraternity has truly changed. I remember a time when you didn't collect evidence at all. You eliminated criminals before they'd even committed their crimes."
Mr. X looked up from a file, his gaze meeting Victor's. He nodded once. "Times change. We change with them. It's unjust to execute someone for crimes they haven't committed yet."
Victor nodded thoughtfully. These hardliners had transformed dramatically in just a century. He wondered, briefly, if that had something to do with their new leader.