Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight...unfortunately...
The wind buffered around his head blowing his silver hair into an unruly state. It had brought a slight chill to the otherwise mild spring night. The moon had yet to reach its highest peak but already lit up the cloudless sky above the city skyline.
The pale moonlight made him look more like a silhouetted statue more than anything else, as he waited, listening, readying himself.
He caught the scent he was searching for carried in the breeze, so familiar to him yet undetectable to most. He knew the smell more than anyone, but detested it far more. It made his skin crawl, unable to suppress his distaste for such a revolting sense, he shuddered unconsciously.
He could hear it now approaching swiftly, closer and closer with each passing second. His heartbeat though remained at a steady and constant beat. He exhaled a small sigh, as he waited for the opportune moment.
Footsteps echoed up through the alleyways of the dark city, rising up to where he continued to wait on the ledge of a disused warehouse. He had waited for almost forty-five minutes, scoping out the ideal stake out position. He had decided on his current perch as it allowed him easy access and good visibility up the passageways leading in and out of the area.
The only bad aspect of his chosen waiting spot was that he had to put up with the seemingly never ending scurrying of the local rat populace. Not that they scarred him or anything, just more of they were a constant nuisance to him. He had to keep shoo-in them away as the ever quizzical rodents found him of great interest.
'Almost time...' he checked his watch. 1.43am read the time piece.
He checked around him one last time, no-one could be seen or heard apart from the sound of the single step of running footfalls that were now almost upon his location.
With one single step, he lunged forward to plummet of the double story building. His overcoat flapped up behind him as he picked up speed. No sooner had he picked up velocity falling, he came to a sudden stop, cushioned by the sprinting person beneath him. Said person came to a crashing stop as the silver haired man caught him on the shoulders, driving his boots hard into him.
The stumbled man groaned as he picked himself up from the pile of trash cans that he had careened into. He gasped for air since his lungs were now exhausted of oxygen; he turned his attention to his attacker. The silver haired man was standing behind, back straight, shoulders back, head held high, but silhouetted by the position of the light.
'Why you...' the fallen man hissed through bared teeth
He had picked himself up and turned towards his pursuer, who stood silently not moving. He glared at him with eyes full of hatred.
'You don't know what you've started boy! I've made meals out of greater men than you!' He snarled charging forward at tremendous speed.
No sooner had he rushed forward, he found that he was again flat on the dirty ground. He groaned heavily lifting his face of the cobblestone alley. He winced as he tried to move his right arm, before even looking at it he knew that the bone had at least been fractured.
'How...? What...?' he started before being cut off by the boot driven into his back, holding him fixed where he lay.
'Five innocent people, all murdered in cold blood. Have you lost all respect and humanity...vampire?' The prone man looked up amazed by what had been spoken.
'I wouldn't expect you to understand Mr Hunter' came the smirked reply, 'You wouldn't know the delicious flavours and treats that you're missing.'
Ck-click...
The silver haired man cocked the weapon in his hand and leant forward slightly as he aimed for the injured creatures head before him. The light now illuminated the part of his young features. The creature gasped as he realised what was to unfold.
'K, K, Kiryu...!' was the strangled reaction
'For these crimes that you have committed and for the wanton destruction of human life, I judge and sentence you to what you deserve, level E.' His voice was low and held no emotion apart from the obvious disgust he had for the creature that was about to be executed.
'B, b, but you of all peop-' the crack of the discharged weapon cut off whatever was about to be said as Zeros' boot came to rest on the floor as the deceased level E creature disintegrated into a sandy powder. He holstered his 'Bloody Rose' and stared at the now empty space under his foot. The wind caught the back of his coat as he turned on his heel and made his way through the winding alleys into the city centre.
Zero threw his coat onto the bed in his small roomed apartment. He unfastened the holster from around his shoulders and hung his weapon up on a coat hanger by the door, slinging his keys onto the desk cluttered with paper clippings and photographs.
The clock on the bedside table showed 2:36am but he had no thought of sleep. The moon still shone brightly in the night sky as he poured himself a glass of chilled water from pitcher on the dresser and dropped in a small tablet.
He watched the tablet dissolve as the water began to turn into a faint crimson colour. He sighed heavily, grabbing the red filled container and paced to the small apartment balcony. He watched the moon as his cravings started to subside with each passing sip of liquid. Least now he felt as if he wasn't a slave to his cravings, but rather had begun to master them.
He emptied the remaining contents as he walked back towards his desk. Slouching in the chair he scribbled out the name of the latest to be judged in this city. It was the last one on his list, now he could move to the next place that needed a 'cleaner'.
He would have to scout ahead and enquire about the next place he needed to visit. Ever since he found out about the head of the Hunter Association being a cohort with the Vampire Council, Zero had felt it was his duty, his role to 'clean' up the mess, so to speak. It was his sole purpose in life, his drive, passed by the legacy of his parents. He had to carry on the Kiryu family history as the most distinguishable Hunter family.
Granted it was a lot harder now without the Association to do all the leg work. Finding the locations of the vampires, names, dates, photographs etc. But Zero had gotten into a good routine to source information, plus aid from others who shared in his ideals. Yagari Toga, his mentor and guardian was still his primary provider of information as well as other former members of the Association, who were also disgruntled to say the least about the partnership that had been between the Council and Association President.
Rest was the first thing on Zeros agenda. Rest, re-supply and then contact Yagari. He placed his glass down on the desk peeling himself off the back of the chair. He leant on the desk as his tiredness started to take hold. He glanced down at where the glass sat, noticing what he had mistaken for a mat. A picture tucked into the rest of his paperwork.
He glanced at it for a second time, recognizing the memory. The old photograph showed a tall teen a little younger than he was now, with a young girl behind him smiling and waving to the camera. 'Congratulations, first day of high school together!' read the inscription on the back. He flicked it the right way around again. The memory brought a rare faint smile to his face, which quickly faded as the memories flooded back into his mind.
He lay the picture back on the desk and fell on his back with one hand behind his head on the bed. His other hand rested on the left side of his neck, he touched the tattooed flesh, thoughts racing through his mind.
'Yuuki...'
He remembered the last time he had seen, and the last thing he had said to her.
'One day I will come for you too...I will kill you.'
Those words were the only ones he could recall ever regretting the moment he had uttered them. They had haunted him just about every night since, re-enforced with the guilt of not stopping her leaving with that pureblood.
Instead of saying what he wanted to say, saying what he needed to say, doing what he should have done, he had said those finite words and had done absolutely nothing to prevent her from leaving his life. He had not heard or seen from her since that awful day, and he doubted that she would ever want to either. Who could blame her really? She had her 'Prince' Kuran Kaname, what more could she want?
That fact only fuelled his anger and hatred for the blood sucking fiends more so than what hatred and resentment he bore them before. He wouldn't stop hunting them until he had breathed his last breath, which thanks partly to Kuran and also to Shizuka Hio, would be a very long time. Half of his consciousness thanked them for giving him the 'dark gift of the night'. This way he was the fastest, the strongest vampire hunter history had ever seen, with more sensual alertness, cunning and hatred than anyone human could possess. But that fact also led him to detest himself with just as much spite.
'Yuuki...why?'
He had questioned himself repeatedly why she had gone with Kuran. She had always been there for him when he had nothing. Protected him from everything including things she knew nothing about and didn't understand. She had let him drink her blood freely to help him keep going, she had smiled like nothing was the slightest bit wrong just so that he would he smile. So why had she gone with him?
Yes he was a pureblood, yes they were engaged to be married, but that was like ten years ago!
He tried to push his thoughts out his mind, concentrating instead on the ticking of the bed side clock. He sighed heartfelt, struggling to keep his emotions in check. He missed her so much and it hurt him to realise that he was the one to blame if he never saw her smile again.
He relied on the unstoppable work of ridding the world of such demons and throwing himself into his 'work' to overcome any emotions, and he had not only become the most reputable hunter alive, but also deadly efficient at it and merciless.
The rhythmic sound of the clock was doing its job. His eyelids started to droop over his violet eyes as his breathing slowed and drifted into a dreamless sleep.
