AN: Crap. Posted before fixing the line breaks. Should be better now.

I do not own either Prototype or Rosario + Vampire.

Things Can Always Get Worse

Meet New People

He was still grinning, damnit.

Moka didn't like that. He knew she was a vampire, and he still did something like that? He either knew nothing of the hierarchy of monsters or he was completely careless. From what she had seen so far… could go both ways actually.

Anyway, they were making their way to the large group of students that had gathered in front of what was assumed to be the main entrance. There were a surprisingly large number of students there, well over a hundred if Moka were to estimate. Or maybe not so surprising at all, as she couldn't actually sense anyone who was really strong. Were they all so weak?

For that matter, why couldn't she feel Alex? She should have felt something, he was just behind her. It was her little way of telling him to go fuck himself, she wasn't scared of him. She wondered if he didn't know what it meant to turn your back on a monster or if he didn't care.

He was strange. He hadn't reacted as she thought he should, not at all like the suddenly shifting crowd before them.

Saizou Komiya was intrigued. These newcomers didn't look like push-overs, not like most of these clowns who were already here.

Oh, wait. Scratch that. He'd missed the small one the first time. How was he still walking while shivering like that?

Meh. Didn't matter. What mattered was trying to ally himself with the other two. They moved like they had a purpose. It was a small thing, but one many people lacked. It was also a sign, at least in his book, that they were more powerful than most of these wasters.

So he had walked closer, hands obviously at his sides. No reason to let them think he was hostile. Hell. She was a beauty. Really. He'd seen some beautiful girls in his time, but this one made them all look like hags.

But the other guy… he was something else. That was waaaay to fluid to be human. An illusion? No. Wouldn't work against everyone and only a fool would risk that. This guy didn't move like a fool.

Something that looked human but wasn't, obviously… Changeling? Incubus? Eyes glowing… Leshy? No. Too tall. Fuck. What was left? Vampire? Werewolf? Yasha? Wendigo? Yee-naaldlooshii? All of those were some nasty enemies.

Either strike fast, betray or ally for real.

If Alex had known exactly what the big guy was, and what they were famous for, he would only be marginally be less surprised when he suddenly took a swing at him with a suddenly clawed hand.

Fuck it all. Time to put the fear of Manhattan in these punks.

Tsukune was quite sure he just wet himself.

First, this huge guys starts walking towards them.

Just before he actually got close enough for a civil conversation, he had blurred forward and his hand wasn't a hand anymore, it was a claw and it was headed straight for Mercers-san and he wasn't moving away and he couldn't look away and it punched through his clothes and his skin and he could hear a squishing noise and he vomited all over his own shoes.

Moka was quite glad she had moved away from the human.

But this was interesting.

The orc's hand was lodged wrist-deep in Mercer's stomach. Not quite that unusual, orcs were strong if not fast. What was unusual was that Mercer was still grinning.

If anything, he was showing even more teeth.

And now the idiot is stuck.

… Make it slow. Scare the others.

So he split his torso open and formed his bio-mass into sickles that vaguely looked like ribs and plunged them through the jack-ass's arm. Said jackass had made the mistake so many of the hunters had made. You didn't stick something in Blacklight you weren't prepared to lose.

He even looks like a hunter if you squint.

So, snack time. One hand on his throat to keep him away, one blurring into a blade and a third gripping just above the elbow. Slice. Disguise. Reel in. Shred. Start to digest.

Instant-meal.

Saizou had made a mistake. And not a small one.

He'd thought he could eliminate one of the few threats he could see early and use his demise to increase his standing.

Instead, the thing's ribcage had burst open like some demented mouth and taken his arm as a chew toy. And the disgusting thing wasn't that he just lost an arm. He was an orc, they grew back.

The thing sucked his arm into his chest and all those pointy bits closed up, as neat-as-you-please. Even his hoodie was back, unblemished. He then crossed his arms over his chest and wait just a fuckin' minute.

He still felt a hand around his neck. What in the h…

Oh god. That's just wrong. The 'hand' was actually connected to the guys tongue. What had he just pissed off?

"You gonna be good from now on?"

He had no idea how he was still speaking with an arm growing from his mouth, but that really wasn't a problem right now. He tried to speak or nod, but the grip was too strong. Instead, he lifted his other arm and made a circle with his index finger and thumb.

Okay.

I give. You're stronger. Let me go.

Please?

That seemed to satisfy him. He finally drew in an explosive breath and drew his arm up for a closer look. Hell. Did he have a katana for an arm or what? That was the neatest slice Saizou had seen outside a butcher shop. At least it worked in his favour.

As he started licking his wound, he moved backwards into the woods nearby.

His eyes never left the guy with the hoodie.

Wow.

Mercer wasn't just all show, apparently.

Someone gutted him, and his wound took a bite out of his attacker.

Nasty.

Moka still hadn't seen enough to even guess what he was, but first instinct pointed to something really nasty. As in, threat level S. Couple that with cannibalizing an orc? Not a lot of things that could stomach orc flesh. And that had been shapeshifting. She was sure of it.

She had to stop herself from jumping to conclusions. Conclusions weren't always right and it could lead to fatal complacency. Better to wait a bit.

Mercer's third(!) arm had withdrawn into his mouth.

"Okay, boys and girls. Quick warning, just cuzz' I'm in a good mood today. That wasn't enough an appetizer. The next one of you who does something stupid is gonna be the main course for Mr. Mercer. You got that?"

Moka smirked. Well played. Use their fear.

Mercer certainly was interesting.

Tsukune couldn't believe what just happened. He thought a vampire was bad? He'd be Moka's willing beverage can, if it meant someone kept stuff like that away from him.

He blanched. What if vampires were low on the totem pole here? What was true in fiction didn't necessarily mean it was true in real life.

He blinked.

Never mind.

Still he had to ask Moka as soon as he could. He winced. Maybe after a breath mint…

Tsukune twitched as he heard a sudden sound. And again. And again.

Who could be clapping at a time like this?

"Mercer. I've been looking for you. If you'd come with me."

He waited, face carefully impassive. She gritted her teeth, he smirked.

"Please."

"Remember today, kids. Be nice to strangers and always be polite. It helps."

He walked through the crowd. He was actually surprised to see how little they backed away. He wasn't crowded, but he still expected more space. Maybe these ones actually had some backbone.

He carefully made his way to the girl who had called out to him. Huh. Wonder what the jacket means. He smirked again. "Shall we?"

She nodded, impassive once more. Her violet eyes looked calmly ahead. He was quick to note that, while she didn't even glance at him, her whole body was still slightly tensed.

After a minute of silently walking, he got bored with the façade. Quick twitch of biomass and the half-digested arm burst from his side and bumped into her. "Sorry. It's still twitchy." She didn't even flinch.

He smirked at her. She gave a little sneer right back.

They walked the rest of the way in companionable silence.

Keito actually found herself liking this new student.

That little display back there was brutal, shocking, vicious and merciless. He's gonna go far.

And he wasn't a chatterbox or a poser. The arm-thing had been a surprise, but she'd seen worse and she let him know. Instead of trying to intimidate her, he just looked forward again as if nothing had happened.

Now, if only she knew what the headmaster wanted with the both of them.

Moka had her hands full.

Tsukune was panicking .

The crowd was getting restless, sizing her up.

The smell of blood was getting her hungry.

She was quite sure at least some of the monsters had noticed Tsukune was human.

How to solve everything in the least amount of time?

Moka smirked and pulled Tsukune closer. Whispered in his ear, bent her head and drank her fill.

Tsukune was calm.

The crowd was suddenly quiet and watchful.

She was full.

She had staked her claim on him.

It was good to be Moka Akashiya.

Keito closed the door behind her and blinked.

The old man had mind-fucked her again!

She wouldn't be able to remember what had happened in there that he didn't want her to know. It was one of the few true cons of being on the PSC. Your mind was a playground for the headmaster.

She blinked. Her eyes grew wide and she turned to Mercer. "I'm your warrant officer. What the hell does that even mean?"

She couldn't even know if she had argued against it. She probably did. Still, there was nothing quite as unpleasant as knowing your mind had been violated.

"I get in trouble, I go to you. I have questions, I go to you. I get hungry, I don't go to you."

She narrowed her eyes.

"You are not eating me today, Mercer."

"Oh? Not today? Do you have plans for me, Keito-chan?"

She blushed lightly. That was just all types of wrong. She eyed him. He was enjoying this. Two could play this game.

She leaned forward, making sure he got a good eyeful and ran her hand up his side, over his neck and to his cheek. She leaned forward and breathed in his ear.

"Play your cards right… then maybe."

She was surprised when he barked out a laugh. Of all possible reactions, she had not quite expected that one.

"I'm asexual, my dear. I can appreciate, but I don't participate, if you get my drift?"

Okay, that was just bullshit.

Alex smirked. He had found a new plaything.

Inwardly, he winced. Bad choice of words.

He really was asexual, more so than she would ever suspect. He was a walking mass of viral matter, for fucks sake.

He finally made his way over to his new classroom. He could hear the teacher telling the students about the rules of the school. Not quite the same as my version, I'll bet.

He knocked and entered at the same time. Personally, he felt she should be glad he kno- was that a tail? A cat tail? He glanced at the board. Miss Shizuka Nekonome. Of course.

"Headmaster's."

A look of comprehension overrode her confusion, before she gestured for him to take a seat. Lucky him. There was an open seat in the row nearest the windows. And Moka and Tsukune had the last two seats? He grinned. It wasn't a nice expression, and some of the students who saw that sat just a little bit straighter.

Alex whistled a few lines of a cheerful song as he took the chair from the open desk in one hand, picked up Tsukune's chair (with him still in it), put it where he got the chair and did the same to Moka, only to where Tsukune had sat. Back row, next to the window. Nothing behind him, easy escape route. Perfect.

He carefully kept the tune for another couple of seconds. He could see Tsukune relax as he sat down, and he could see the tension in Moka's jawline as she clenched her teeth. Interesting. He glanced up and saw that the majority of the class was looking at him with slightly awe-struck expressions.

What the hell. He just picked someone up. He'd bitten a guy's arm off with his ribs not an hour ago, and now they looked impressed? Fuck it all.

Even the teacher was trying (and failing) to hide a little smirk. Whatever. Time to take stock.

So… 25 students. He knew three of them, as he saw that morning's 'problem' clear on the other side of the room. And the girl with blue hair (blue hair!) was staring at him. He lay down his head on his arms and grinned, unseen by everyone else.

Kurumu Kurono was suitably freaked out when the new guy suddenly grew an extra eye on the outside of his jacket. It looked straight at her, blinked (or was it a wink) and then disappeared with a ripple.

She had better keep an eye on that one. She blanched. Or was that what he was warning me against?

But he was strong. Too strong to ignore.

She gave his unseeing back a sultry smile.

He's going to do nicely.

AN v2: I've expanded the forum a bit to explain a bit of Prototype backstory, include some new monster-species and justify the Alex vs Youkai debate. Give it a look.

Also, Wendigo and Yee-naaldlooshi (aka - a skinwalker) are Native American in origin and the Leshy is a Slavic spirit (I've messed with them a bit in the forum. Go look at it!).

AN: The second chapter isn't quite as long, but I think it'll do.

Alex has met some of the more important characters. After some deliberation, I've decided to put Keito into the light as well. We'll see how it goes.

As for Saizou, I've made him a bit smarter, but he's still recklessly impulsive. The regeneration and wound licking will probably be explained on the forum after I've had a time to write everything down.

I'm not going to reveal what Alex and the Headmaster spoke of, but I will say that Keito did volunteer after she heard what they were talking about. Make of that what you will. The conversation will probably be referenced in future chapters, so keep it in mind.

The students' reactions to Alex's actions… an orc is a threat yes, but not a great one. Alex is creepy so far, but most students have 'figured' out his species (the most frequent theories are Wendigo, Yee-naaldlooshii – a skinwalker – or a extremely powerful changeling) and they're not too worried. Then Alex manhandles a vampire, in his human form. His badassitude just shot through the roof.

At this point, Moka and Tsukune will probably be shunted to the background, as will Keito. Next chapter is probably going to deal with Kurumu and the first signs of Mizore, as well as Alex's attempts to adapt to the school.

Read, enjoy, review.

Also, pay the forum a visit. Link's in the first chapter.

~GrinGrin

Written: 14/12/2013

Posted: 14/12/2013

Updated: 14/12/2013