Chapter 3 - A Life of Blood
Kata watched in solemn silence as David explained the situation to Kai, Riku and Saya. Their father had been stolen from the hospital; he was in a critical condition, from a chiropteran wound of all things, so that really wasn't good, and he'd also been taken by the US Military. That also wasn't good, seeing as the US Army had been covering up chiropteran attacks.
Yeah. This entire thing is fishier than fish. Breathing out hard through her nose, Kata finished off her pocky. She was standing just out of sight by the side of the warehouse, while the Red Shield, the Miyagusuku family, Saya and Hagi conversed by the harbour. Harbour huh? Didn't notice that last night. She watched as Saya began to cry, Kai -Ass. I already don't like him, the brat- kicked up a fuss and then finally they got into a van. Kata smirked as she saw Hagi being left to find his own way to Saya; the van door was slammed in Hagi's face by Kai, though the stoic man had made no move to get into the vehicle.
Well this is interesting. I haven't had such a busy time for a long time now, huh? Kata was sitting on a bollard; minutes previously Saya had been the mysterious Asian girl perched there, but now Kata took her place; hands in pockets, pocky in mouth. Really interesting. How you've changed, Queen. With a smile, Kata gazed across the sea at the horizon, as the fast rising sun painted the sky and sea alike with various hues of pale pink and blue.
First we have chiropterans. Kata began. It was her custom, her nature, to summarise things every now and then, if not to explain to someone else, then to help herself get a handle on the situation. Large monsters who feed off human blood, they're stronger and faster than anything humans have ever encountered; their healing capabilities means they are virtually unstoppable, and the only way humans have been able to defeat them is by bombing, which isn't very practical. There are four known types of chiropterans; the usual mindless monsters who breed almost like rabbits, Chevaliers, humans turned into chiropterans by the transfusion of the third type's blood; the third type of chiropteran is even rarer than Chevaliers; the Queens. All living chiropterans descend from them; from the more powerful Chevaliers with human appearances who directly serve their chiropteran Queens to the mindless monsters. There are only two know Queens in existence; Saya and her younger sister, Diva.
All the wandering beasts, the first type of chiropteran, descend from Diva. Saya's blood, when it comes it to contact with Diva's, or a being created by Diva's blood, crystallizes the being, meaning that Saya's blood is the only thing that can properly finish off the chiropterans who populate the earth. Saya lives to kill her younger sister, Diva, in revenge for something that happened a hundred years ago and likewise Diva is trying to kill Saya, though she's not trying very hard. Diva and her chevaliers; Amshel, Solomon, Nathan, James and Carl, wish to see the entire world populated by chiropterans; that is the motive behind their actions. Kata closed her eyes as she placed her third pocky since sitting down in her mouth, and a gentle sea breeze blew across her face.
And now, the Red Queen, Saya, has awoken after going berserk thirty years ago in Vietnam. Perhaps because of her out of control rampage, upon this awakening, Saya does not remember a thing. Though that might be because Hagi lost her, so she didn't get his blood, the blood of awakening, like she usually did. Kata sighed. What a stupid chevalier you've got, huh? Saya. Idiot. You're both idiots. Well. This is interesting. Saya is fighting for the Red Shield for a cause she no longer remembers. Right now, This should be fun.
And with a blue blur, Kata was gone.
Ha! This is fun! Thought Kata with glee, a smile lighting up her face. Which was quite alarming really; her face and body were splattered and stained with blood; she looked like an insane serial killer. I guess I am a serial killer in a way though, huh? If you count the number of chiropterans I've killed as serial murders, then I'd be more legendary than Jack the Ripper. Although, Kata jumps, crashing through the ventilation shaft and landing in the midst of two chiropterans. I wonder if Jack the Ripper viewed it as his duty to kill. Then her mind was taken up with fighting.
Kata was rather proud of her weapons; two unusual swords that collapsed into their handles. She wielded them well, and she so knew it, they spun like batons in her hands; the blades on either side of the handles slashed through anything they came into contact with. The chiropterans fell to the floor, in pieces as their blood sprayed the room, giving Kata a fresh coating of blood. As they slowly began to crystallize, Kata jumped up into the ventilation shafts once more.
These really are a fantastic way of travelling. She though. Ah. Found them! She said. Kata paused above Saya, David and Hagi. Hagi stiffened slightly; with that Kata knew he had sensed her. Saya however, had not, though she should have. The three stood by, slowly recovering as a chiropteran grumbled on the other side of the sealed door. Kata sat, knees up, her blood coated swords dripping.
The Red Shield had organised a mission to try and get George Miyagusuku back; Saya's adoptive father who had been injured when Saya refused to fight, and then stolen by the US Army. Kata frowned. No matter how you look at it, Saya is annoying. She got her father hurt, and then said she'd fight to get him back. But has she done anything? Nooooo. God. She's useless, and now they're trapped with a pissed off, hungry chiropteran on the other side of the door.
"Tch." Kata gritted her teeth in annoyance. A barely detectable flicker in Hagi's eyes betrayed him; he had heard something. Probably her. Kata smirked.
She zoned out as David explained his plan, and passed on a memory stick of apparent 'oh-so-important-information' to Saya. Only she has to get out? What the hell? Damn, this is why I don't like masochists. David's plan was to open the door, create a diversion, try to get through the chiropteran and find George. If Hagi discovers who I am, I am really screwed. Kata though reluctantly; after all, Hagi was more than capable of taking care of them. With a barely audible sigh, Kata stood and moved onto other parts of the American US Army base where the mission was being carried out.
Kata looked up in surprise as she heard a war cry; she knew that cry. Pulling her two swords out of the brain -if they even have brains - of a chiropteran. The blood red glow faded from its eyes as its head was split into three pieces; blood sprayed. Kata was well aware that the way she fought was very different from the graceful, one hit style Saya used; hers was much more barbaric, and involved a lot more cutting things into pieces. There was a reason for it, but Kata didn't want to dwell on it, focusing on Saya's cry.
That was Saya…the pissed off 'I'm going to kill all you chiropterans!' cry. Has she woken up properly? Excitement and anticipation surged through her; in a blink Kata was moving through the ventilation. Following the feeling of chiropterans dying, Kata soon found the group.
"Tch." That brat. Kai. Grrr. What the hell is he doing here, sticking his nose in? And now Hagi's sensed me already. Crap. Kai. Ugh. Then, as Kata peered through the ventilation shaft, guilt pierced her chest. Ah. Double crap. Sorry Kai. You're an ass, but no one should have to see their dad die like that… Kata's usually hard and slightly jeering expression softened in sympathy; looking at the crystallized form of George Miyagusuku, it wasn't hard for someone like Kata to figure out what was going on.
George Miyagusuku had been turned into a chiropteran somehow; his arm proved that. That fact that his face and torso were still human implied that George had made Saya kill him as a human, before he became a mindless monster. No one, no matter how brat-like they are, should have to go through that. She thought, watching the tears spill from Kai's wide eyes. Following his gaze, she saw Saya, eyes blood red and fighting. Well. Awake…?
"Has she gone berserk?" asked David, his voice controlled but worry still evident underneath. Hagi shook his head.
"Saya has merely remembered what she must do." He said softly, as the last chiropteran fell to the floor, dead by Saya's hand. Kata, squatting in the ventilation shaft above their heads, sighed.
"We need to get out of here!" David commanded as Saya stood, slightly shell shocked. "Saya! They're bombing this place, we don't have much time!" he snapped. Saya blinked, but when Kai took her hand, she nodded.
Bombing! Shit! I'm getting out of here! With a gulp, Kata collapsed her blood stained swords and strapped them into a specially designed belt barely distinguishable that was barely distinguishable from her trousers, and then took off.
Minutes later, the base exploded, as the Red Shield van moved off, Saya, Hagi, David and Lewis safe inside the van, Kai unharmed and following them on his bike. Kata surveyed them from a tree, which rustled and blew about in the wind of the aftershock from the bomb's explosion. How interesting. Saya likes the ginger brat. Well. Time to follow them creepily like a stalker for a bit more, huh? I wonder where we're going next.
As it turned out, Kata couldn't follow them where they were going next, nor did she wish to; she really did not want to be stuck on the Red Shield's headquarters -it's a bloody boat for crying out loud- and so she simply watched without trying to follow as the Red Shield's HQ; a huge ocean liner that looked like a cruise ship, before smiling and leaving the docks.
Looks like I'm 'Himi' rather than 'Kata' for a while, huh?
Well... Who is Himi? Is Kata not her real name after all... review and you'll find out! Please? Review? *puppy dog eyes*
My chapters are getting a bit long... but they will get shorter, I'm working on it!
By the way, I added the summary for the benefit of my friend, who wanted to read this but hadn't seen Blood+.