: #Red alert red alert# :

The sirens were blaring. The ground was shaking, trembling as guard after guard, armed with their special laser weapons trooped out in an orderly manner.

' Don't let them escape! I want each and every one of them captured alive, do you hear me?' barked a young man. His eyes glistening with rage as the blood around his clenched fists trickled down onto his fingers, staining the white coat he was currently wearing.

Breathing heavily, he reached into his pockets and pulled out a capsule. The pale blue liquid within only half filled the empty capsule. Gripping it tightly, his lips twisted into a malicious grin before he scowled, allowing his bloodstained hands to soil the glossy smooth surface. ' I will have it all in the palm of my hand..'

'Get them!'

A shot from the deadly weapon resulted in an explosion of a nearby door, the last trace of its existence complete with a powerful jolt of electricity.

Hissing and snarling, the escaping cat swung its lethally sharp claws straight through the nearby guard's throat, and watched momentarily satisfied as the man gargled and writhed within his own blood just before he aimed a final shot at the menacing cat.

'Watch out!'

Looking up, the man could only gulp before he was trampled right in the chest, the weapon kicked straight out of his hands with a powerful hoof. Lifting the cat by the nape with his teeth, the ox trotted off to safety, ignoring the vulgarities the cat was spiting in its taste for revenge.

' Baka neko! Do you have to be this stupid at a time like this!' Flinching momentarily at Yuki's insult, the cat reared on its feet and lunged forwards, ready to sink his dagger like claws into Yuki's face. A swift kick to the head was all it took before Kyo was sent tumbling back against two impudent guards.

Throwing some clothes over to both the ox and the cat, Yuki himself was already dressed as he took on another two more guards, sending them both sprawling back onto the floor. ' Get changed once you're human, we don't have time for this. We have to escape and save the rest!'

' Shut up! You are the one wasting my time!' There was a loud poof in the background and before long, Kyo himself was all dressed, clenching his fists as he did so as he eyed the rat with hatred and shame. His vendetta with Yuki was a long story but the shame he felt was undeniable, after all, it was the rat who had braved the odds and released them from where they were held captive.

Curse it, swore the cat. It was after all, not his fault that he couldn't become a small sized animal to squeeze beyond the various doors and outsmart the traps and so on and so forth. In fact, he hated it when Yuki acted like he was in charge. Still, there wasn't much time to be lost.

Glancing over at Hatsuharu, the ox merely flicked a tail in his direction before he picked up his clothes with his mouth and headed off in the opposite direction. ' Haru! Where the hell are you going!' Throwing the cat a quizzical glare, the ox paused for a while, blanking out momentarily before he trotted towards Kyo and walked through the door behind him. ' Damn that stupid ox, how are we going to escape with him?' Grabbing an injured guard by the hair, Kyo decided to try asking. 'How do we get out of here?'

The only reply the cat received was something which sounded like ' urgh..'

' I don't have time for games! Tell me now!'

'You really are a baka neko. We have to find and rescue the rest first before escaping!'

' I know that you damn rat! I'm just getting to it!'

A scuffle and the cries of someone could be heard in the distance. Looking up, both the cat and mouse advanced forward to where the ox had earlier gone, careful not to alert their enemies, if any, of their approach. Standing over the group of fallen guards, Kyo made a mental note never to make the ox angry judging by the bloody state they were currently in. Gingerly making their way over the mess and blood, light could be seen spewing over a broken window at the far end of the corridor. Shards of broken glass adorned the once spotless floor.

' Haru! Hatori!'

Jumping in, the cat assisted the ox as they began to unshackle the unconscious dragon. Yuki could do nothing but stare as his mind began to reel, taking in the sight that lay before him. Earlier on that day the guards had taken him, gruffly explaining that he was to be locked in a separate cell. It was all a lie. Whatever they had done to him, Yuki didn't know. The cuffs and shackles which were used to restrain him were caked with dried blood, Hatori's blood and there was the suspicious wound bandaged with some band-aid upon his neck..

' Hatori! Are you alright?' Given his weakened state, it was imminent that he would transform back into his zodiac state anytime now. Weakly, the dragon could only mutter ' Blood, they wanted the blood of a dragon, my blood… together with.. the rest of ours..'

'What? Is that why they held us here? Is that it! Where are the rest?'

' I don't know.. the rest.. they have.. escaped.. I heard them say so.. and they kept me here.. Gave me something so I couldn't escape..'

'Those bastards will pay!' Haru had his fist through the wall. The very idea of having an injured member of their zodiac pack didn't please him. True they weren't exactly human, but still, traces of humanity still lived in their spirit. In fact, after what they had been through, he was ready to declare himself more human then any human being. Humans are disgustingly low and filthy, we never should have trusted them.

'Haru, We have to escape, now.' Yuki's voice was ringing. Kyo had Hatori supported by his side. They were ready. Ready to fight back. Only not yet.

Cringing at the annoying alarm which was ringing wildly, they crept stealthily down the aisle. Allowing Haru to lead was something foreboding, but in this case, ignorance was blissful and for the first time, they were rewarded as a kick to the door led them outside. Blinding lights were shone their way, irritating their sense of sight as they all noticed the hovering helicopter just meters away.

Making their way towards the fence, Kyo took the lead along with a semi-conscious Hatori while Haru and Yuki did their best to stall their attackers. Blows and punches were never drawn better and Haru felt himself losing control over his temper and rage as the urge to escape and protect intensified within him, allowing his alter-ego, the ever violent 'black' side to come into consciousness.

' Can you at least give me a hand here?' The cat, was flustered and ever bad-tempered, finding that he was unable to both climb and hold on to Hatori at the same time. Rolling his eyes, the rat did a somersault, and vaulted gracefully over the fence. 'You dumb rat! How are you suppose to help when you have already gone over the fence?'

' Use your head you baka neko! Now give Hatori-san a lift up and I'll catch him from here.'

'Stop calling me a baka neko!'

'That's it boys, play with me. You have absolutely no idea how much I crave for a fight, so give it your best shot!' Dodging the attacks, 'black' Haru was in control. Not only did he enjoy beating the crap out of the human guards, he himself was rather disappointed at their lousy endurance stamina, blacking out after a few repeated punches.

'Haru! Stop fighting you stupid cow and get over here!' Catching sight of his friends over the side of the fence, he felt the sudden urge to be with them. Ignoring his inner pleas to continue fighting, he felt his calmer self taking over his body. That was when he felt something cold latching itself around his neck. Before Haru had any chance to retaliate, a sudden jolt of electricity was released from it, causing excruciating pain as he felt his arms and legs go limp.

'Haru!'

'Go.. I'll be fine.. just .. just go.. I'll catch up with you…arghh..'

The guards were closing in. It was a difficult choice, but Yuki knew he had to trust it. ' Kyo, let's go. Haru.. He'll take care of himself.'

'Are you crazy! Are we abandoning him now?'

'We need to get help for Hatori, let's go now..' slinging the dragon's arm over his shoulder, Yuki took off, knowing that Kyo would be right behind him, in a few seconds.

'Give it up, freak. I have orders to bring you back alive, but try it again and I will be forced to bring a dead one back.'

Recovering from the pain, Haru maximized his strength, bringing his hands onto the 'thing' around his neck, breaking it in three places as pain began to surge from the high voltage electricity connected to the collar. There was a loud explosion as the three broken pieces were hurled, causing much smoke and distraction.

' Damn it! Where did he go?'

' Er.. Akito sir? We have bad news.'

The man's hands were no longer bloody though the stains still lingered upon his white coat. The capsule within his hand was now emitting an emerald green colour against the crystal clear light. ' 3 more.. just 3 more…' He was mumbling.

' Er.. Akito sir? I just said ..'

' What is it?'

' It seems, er.. we have lost them all..'

Clash

The set of test tubes and bottles, which had been sitting on the table, were now resting in pieces upon the floor.

' Idiots! You let them escaped!'

' Akito sir, please, they can't have gone far, they must be injured someway or other.'

Handling the capsule within his fingers, Akito looked at it for one last time, and then he pocketed it. Smiling suddenly, he whispered ' You may have escaped but you can't hide from me, not when you came up to me first. Soon, I will have it all, just 3 more… just 3 more…'

' Sir?'

' They have taken the dragon too?'

' What dragon?'

' Don't be a fool, the dragon has taken a dose of my medicine, anytime now… just anytime now…'

' Akito sir, I really don't understand..'

' You don't have to. Now just be a good boy and find them all for me. And not to forget, I want them all alive.'

With a nod, the man exited, glad to be out of the room. Akito was a man of strange words. Not that anyone could understand what he was saying, let alone what he was really thinking.

Starring out into the clear night sky, Akito smirked at his own mirror reflection upon the window, as he softly croons ' Run zodiacs run.. No matter where you are, they will never accept you for being what you really are, and until then, you will return to my side and accept my help once again… Until then.. run my dear little zodiacs.. until you can run no more..'

a/n: Had this idea suddenly out of the blue and i simply had to pen it down. Do leave comments for i need to know if this plot's ok. Rating may go up since i'm having a bunch of crazy thoughts but not at the moment. Thanks for reading.

Post author note, important: I sincerely apologise for some random typos here and there. But one thing to take note, fanfiction somehow deleted a chunk of paragraphs from this chapt without my knowing. Somehow when I previewed, it was there, but now that I have a second glance, its not, so it must have been weird cuz the words really didn't connect! I have replaced it with the missing paragraphs and damn I hope it works this time.

Thanks a lot for those who have reviewed. Pardon my typos and I'll be getting down soon to work out another chap. Once again, thanks.