Chapter Seven: An Unexpected Intruder
She knew it was going to happen sooner or later. Didn't she fret about this just yesterday? But now that it has indeed happened, she was surprisingly calm about the whole situation.
For the first time for as long as she could remember, she was well and truly alone.
There were no parents or well-meaning relatives checking up on her. Hanabusa wasn't around to annoy her with his idiocy. There was no cheery Takuma-sama with his ever present cup of rose tea. Shiki and Rima weren't around the corner, napping or sharing a box of pocky. And most importantly, Kaname-sama wasn't around to guide her.
Yet strangely, above them all, she found Akatsuki's absence to be the most discomforting.
In a way, it was expected. After all, Akatsuki had been there for all of the important moments in her life. He and Hanabusa had polished off the first cake she baked successfully. He was there to guide her through her first dance lesson. He stayed awake with her during their first sleep-over because Hanabusa had freaked her out with a scary bedtime story. He waltzed with her in the first ball they attended. There were so many moments, she wasn't sure she could list them all.
And now that he was gone, Ruka kept expecting him to pop up beside her shoulder. He had always been there. Why should this moment be any different?
But when the door closed behind him, and the seconds merged into minutes and minutes into hours, she realized she was indeed alone.
She fell back onto his bed and dozed off into a fitful sleep. Wrapped in his familiar scent, happy memories of their childhood came flooding back. She had never pegged herself to be the wistful type. Ever since she was small, she realized that persistence and determination was key to getting what she wanted. There was no use in thinking about the past and all the what-could-have-beens. The only thing that mattered was the present moment and what she could do in the future. Yet, now that she was by herself, all she could think about was the simpler times back then where the three of them together, forever and always. With that thought swirling in her mind, she gave into the oblivion.
When she came to, the sun had set, rose and set again. She wearily sat up and for a few moments, just stared around at her surroundings in silence. What was she even doing there? In this room, in this town, what could she possibly do? She was noble-born. A vampire. With abilities and grace humans couldn't even begin to imagine. Yet, here she was, sitting around like a helpless woman by the side, waiting for her man. The fact that she didn't have a man to wait for only made her even more pathetic.
Damnit, now was not the time to feel sorry for herself.
She forced herself to crawl out of bed. She knew she needed to keep herself occupied. That was the only way she could stop herself from dwelling on her present situation. Maybe she could go out and entertain herself with the night scene –
Try not to go out at all. Just stay safe until I get back.
Like an ominous warning, Akatsuki's final words to her flashed across her mind. Ruka couldn't quite shake off the uneasy feeling inside her when she thought back to what happened two nights ago. Something was definitely going on out there. She wasn't stupid. The rogue vampire they stumbled across definitely wasn't the only one out there hunting that night. And with the sudden increase in humans, this town was a breeding ground for trouble.
Plus, the emergence of vampire hunters was also a bad sign. Ruka knew that this town does not have an active branch of the Vampire Hunter Association. Yet, despite that, messages from the top have apparently trickled down to the hunters here, asking them to be on the lookout for Kaname-sama's right-hand man – namely, Akatsuki Kain.
As much as Ruka hated following orders, she had to admit that Akatsuki's advice about staying indoors was probably a good one.
Sighing, Ruka went out into the living room, looking for things to do.
So for the next few days, she did everything she possibly could think of while being cooped up in a hotel suite. She rearranged her wardrobe, tidied up the apartment, rearranged his wardrobe (which was in a sad state-of-affairs), cooked when she was bored, read some books, did some embroidery and watched the days fly by outside the windows. Her attempts at blocking out her thoughts succeeded most of the time.
Until, inevitably, she ran out of ingredients in the kitchen. Having already done enough readings and embroidery to drive any other person insane, Ruka paced around the living room in agitation. All the thoughts that she didn't want to think about came flooding back. The world was slowly rolling into chaos and she wasn't sure if anyone could stop it. Kaname-sama was out there doing things according to his agenda and she... Ruka clenched her hands into fists ... she wasn't part of the plans.
Did she want to be?
Frowning, Ruka thought about it. She didn't. After the Cross Academy, she came to the realization that Kaname-sama was never truly hers to protect and guard. She was merely a delusional young girl, dancing to the tune of her own feelings. Perhaps, even back then, had she opened her eyes, she would have seen what everybody else was seeing – what eventually came into being. The hints were right there from the start.
In Kaname-sama's eyes, there was only Yuuki Kuran.
Yet inside her, there was still a small part of her that was hurting. And she couldn't get it to stop.
Akatasuki...
At the thought of his name, Ruka's cheeks warmed at the memories. They have been together for as long as she could remember. He was there, right from the start. Like an older brother, he looked out for her and Hanabusa, made sure they never got into trouble. Then, when they attended Cross Academy, he retained his job as guardian and indirectly ended up with a ridiculous nickname. Once they left the Academy and went their separate ways, with Hanabusa teaching Yuuki-sama, he stayed by her side. Then that kiss happened. Over all these years, what exactly was Akatsuki to her?
Was he her brother? Her guardian? Her companion? Her ... lover?
No! Shaking the thoughts free out of her head, Ruka knew she had to get out of there. Hastily, she grabbed her jacket and exited the suite. Akatsuki wasn't here anymore. There was no use in dwelling in the past. She needed to go out there and occupy her mind.
Escaping outside, Ruka breathed in her first breath of fresh air. Just how many days had she stayed indoors? She couldn't remember. When one was stuck in solitary confinement, time no longer held any meaning. But now that she was out, she was free to do what she wanted.
It was still early evening. The sun had set perhaps an hour, two hours, ago. There were still plenty of humans milling around outside, which for Ruka, meant one thing – the shops were still open. First thing first, she needed to restock her kitchen. With that goal in mind, Ruka set off for the grocery store.
Twenty minutes later, she emerged with three bags of groceries in hand. The cashier boy inside had offered to carry them for her but she brushed him off. Humans. They had absolutely no idea who they were dealing with.
Humming a tune, Ruka began the walk back to the hotel. It was only nine o'clock yet the streets were strangely deserted. What was going on?
Suddenly, a subtle scent drifted across the still air.
Blood.
It wasn't her problem, Ruka knew. And didn't Akatsuki warn her to stay inside until he gets back? But... Cursing herself, Ruka dumped her groceries where they were and ran towards the scent of the blood. She may still be a slave to her own feelings, but this ... she knew this was wrong and she had to stop it. Even if Kaname-sama did not want her to follow him, this, at least, was something she knew how to do.
The scene eventually led her to an abandoned building. How stereotypical, she sneered as she walked down the stairs into the basement. Masking herself, Ruka walked in, and what she saw shocked her to the core.
Inside the dimly lit room, there were at least twenty, maybe twenty-five vampires. In front of them, on a stage, was the ring leader. There was a human girl lying by his side. She was still breathing, Ruka could tell. But other than that, she gave no sign of life. Her skin was pale. Her open eyes were glassy. And she was as still as a corpse. Next to the stage, lined up against the wall, were five other girls all in a similar state.
"So, let's start the bidding, shall we?" The vampire on stage smiled as he gazed around the room. "Twenty to start with. Do I have any takers?"
"Twenty," a hand shot into the air.
"Twenty over here," the auctioneer said, scanning the crowd for more bidders. "Can I get a twenty-five?"
"Twenty-five."
"Thirty."
The bids went higher and higher. Ruka saw enough. They were all ex-human vampires, though none of them were Level Es. There was a leadership vacuum at the moment. Without neither the council nor Kaname-sama holding the rein, these vampires thought they could do whatever they wanted. Ruka ran through her options before deciding on the best course of action. She focused her gaze on the lights dangling down from the ceiling and turned them off.
The room was instantaneously enveloped in darkness.
"Wait, what's going on?" One shouted. Despite their heightened senses, none of them could see a thing. Ruka made sure of it.
"Hunters! They've found us." Another yelled over the din. The vampires were now scrambling over one another, trying to reach the door.
Standing out of the way, Ruka turned to look at the door. It opened, revealing to the vampires a score of vampire hunters, all armed to kill. The hunters quickly dived into the fray and merged with the gathering of vampires.
It was a simple illusion, really. But sometimes, simplicity was key to success. The darkness, the hunters, the ensuing panic was all figments of the vampires' imagination. Their fear fed the illusion, making it more and more powerful. Their own thoughts gave birth to things that weren't there. Suddenly, they were seeing their enemies' faces among themselves. With strangled screams and desperate pleas, the vampires attacked each other.
The whole thing took about five minutes, maybe ten. But eventually, with one last gurgled cough, the room fell silent. Turning the lights back on, Ruka saw that all there were left in the room were the six human victims and piles of ashes.
Striding over to the stage, Ruka checked on each of the victims. They all seemed okay, just lost in a trance. Once the hunters discover this place, they will be able to take care of them. But there was one more thing she could do. Putting a hand on their foreheads, Ruka skimmed their minds and erased all memories involving vampires.
There. All was right again. For now...
Straightening, Ruka left the room, leaving the door open for the hunters that would surely come.
"Great," she muttered as she climbed up the stairs. "Now I need to go and buy some more groceries."
"You sure it was them?" The young man asked as he strode down the deserted street.
"Absolutely," his companion answered. "They matched the descriptions the association gave to the T."
"Have there been more sightings of them since that night?"
"No. But they are most definitely close-by."
"Oh?" One straight eyebrow was raised in curiosity.
"Things have been ... peculiar lately."
"Is that so? Let me take a look."
Illusions were more than just tricking the enemies' minds. It wasn't the same as mind control. She couldn't simply take control of individuals and make them kill each other. Nevertheless, when done correctly, illusions were a powerful weapon. It was all about subtlety and finesse. Plus a good healthy dose of imagination. Make the enemy doubt their surroundings. Make them fear for the unknown. And once their focus was shaken, she would go in for the kill.
Ruka caught the sight of her target and silently, followed him down the deserted alleyway. The vampire had a human victim slung over his shoulder. Whistling a tune, the carefree predator was completely unaware of his trail. Reaching his destination, the vampire set his victim down on the floor as he fished for his keys in his pockets.
Ruka's hazel eyes turned a dusky rose as she concentrated on her target.
The predator was about to become the prey.
Heavy mists descended into the alleyway. The thick fog enveloped the surroundings, making it difficult to see. Before the vampire could gasp out in surprise, Ruka choked off his air supply. For a couple of moments, Ruka watched him desperately claw at his own throat. He deserved it, she thought without sympathy. Eventually, his own hands raked across his throat, severing his carotid arteries and he bled out – disintegrating into a pile of ash.
All of this happened silently without a few short minutes. Such was the power of the mind.
"Humans," Ruka sighed as she bent down to lay a hand on the human girl's forehead. Lured in by a charming face and a pretty smile – these human girls were so weak and pathetic. She erased memories about the vampire from the girl's mind and gave her a quick check over. Thankfully, the girl was not physically hurt.
Finishing her job for the night, Ruka stood up and dusted herself off. Having done her kill, she was finished for the night. She knew her infrequent kills weren't enough to keep the town safe from the vampires who went rogue. But then again, that wasn't her job. The vampire hunters out there could take care of the chaos that was the night scene. Her decision to wade into this whole mess was purely selfish. While she was on the hunt, she could block out her thoughts. While she was wandering alone outside, she could feel the adrenaline pumping through her veins. While she was killing vampires, she felt alive.
It was probably sad bordering on psychotic, but after the first couple of kills, she realized she felt good. In fact, she felt better than she had for quite awhile. Almost as good as when she was kissing... Ruka quickly shook that thought out of her mind. Now that he was gone, if she had to get her thrills from killing, then so be it.
It was all about lowering those expectations.
Suddenly, Ruka heard footsteps running down the alleyway. They were discreet and quiet but her heightened senses picked them up. Two – no, three – hunters were on their way to the scene. Not wanting another ugly confrontation with them, Ruka quickly stepped back into the shadow and masked her presence.
"Damn, missed them again," one of the hunters cursed as he burst onto the scene. He kicked at the ash on the floor and reluctantly stowed away his gun. Looking at him, she realized he was the hunter Akatsuki and her stumbled across the very first time.
"They are good," one of his companions commented as he knelt down to check on the human girl. "All this week and we haven't caught them once."
"They can't be far. I feel like we're getting closer and closer each time."
Having heard enough, Ruka turned and quietly left the scene. It was unwise for her to linger about. She darted away, circling around for a couple of times to make sure she had no one following her before making her way back to the hotel. The whole trip, from leaving the hotel suite to the kill and back to the suite again, took roughly two hours.
With a sigh of relief, Ruka entered the hotel suite and closed the door behind her. See? She could take care of herself. She shook off her jacket and turned to hang it behind the door. A tingling sensation ran down the back of her spine. Something was not right here. There was someone else in the room. Swirling around, Ruka found herself facing an unexpected intruder.
"Zero," she breathed out his name.
With ash-white hair, a stern unwavering gaze and a perpetual frown around his lips, the vampire hunter looked the same as he did back at the academy. Yet there was something different about him. At first, Ruka couldn't figure out why but she then took a closer look. His eyes were colder, his lips stiffer and he seemed to have mentally aged, as if he was forced to grow up way before he was ready.
He had a gun trained firmly on her throat. The Bloody Rose – Ruka thought as she stared down at it. The last time he had aimed it at her, it was back at the Academy. She was mad at the fact Kaname-sama was interested in him and Zero was just mad at vampires in general. Even under those tumultuous circumstances, she knew he wouldn't have actually shot her.
"Don't move," he said quietly, his tone gave no room for arguments or negotiations.
This time, she wasn't so sure.
"You move, I shoot. You shift, I shoot. You create an illusion, and I will shoot." He cocked his gun for emphasis.
With her back against the door, Ruka knew there was no way she would be able to escape. The adrenaline was slowly leaving her internal system, leaving behind a sense of profound exhaustion. Even if she was to create an illusion, she doubted she would have been able to hold it for long enough. Slowly, she nodded her head to indicate she understood.
Keeping the gun trained on her, Zero stepped forward and quickly cuffed her hands together with his spare hand. The chains closed around her wrists with an ominous clang. Straightaway, she felt a threatening crackle of energy emitting from the handcuffs. It took her a second to realize she no longer had access to her powers. And its absence left her feeling bereft and exposed. Now that she was unarmed, Zero slowly lowered her gun.
"Now," he took a step back though his gaze was still firmly fixed on her. "Where is Kuran?"
She tilted her head and raised on eyebrow. "Which one?"
His shoulder jerked slightly with irritation. "You know which one I mean."
"Sorry," she continued smoothly. She wasn't about to make this easier for him. "I really don't."
"You don't?" Zero fingered his gun thoughtfully. "I guess you don't know what's going on, do you?"
Without meaning to, Ruka tensed up her shoulders. Realizing what she was doing, she forced herself to relax. But she knew that she had been spotted.
"What?" He tilted his head as his stony eyes continued to drill holes into her. "Rich little noble girl doesn't like it when nobody tells her what's going on?"
"Your point?" She spitted out through gritted teeth.
"I know where Yuuki Kuran is," Zero stated. "Kaname Kuran is another matter. We cannot stand by and let him do whatever he chooses. The agreement –"
"To the best of my knowledge," Ruka interrupted him. "The agreement has not yet been broken, has it?"
"No," Zero tightened his jaw. "But there have been an alarmingly large number of vampires who have gone rogue."
"They're your responsibility," Ruka pointed out. "Our part of the bargain was merely to ensure that all humans who have been turned by the purebloods had expressed informed consent before being changed into vampires. In addition, we've given the Vampire Hunter Association the control you wanted to hunt down those caught feeding on humans."
Zero nodded, conceding her point. "However, there have been some unusual activities going on lately."
"Such as?"
Zero evaded the question. "Where's Kain?"
"He's out."
"By himself?" Zero raised an eyebrow. "Funny, he didn't strike me as the sort of guy who would just suddenly leave you behind."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ruka demanded.
Ignoring her question yet again, Zero's eyes narrowed in speculation. "Unless," he mused. "He was told to. Let me guess, he left with Kuran?"
Ruka hesitated – and that was all the confirmation Zero needed.
"I see," he murmured. "That makes a lot of sense. Kain is very dependable but also predictable."
"Now that you've found out what you need to, can you let me go?" Ruka raised her handcuffed hands.
"No. I'm taking you in for further questioning." Zero said, yanking on her links and tugging her behind him. "But first, we need to leave a calling card."
It was as quick as lightening. Ruka saw it coming but there was nothing she could do to stop it. Zero drew out a small dagger and neatly sliced her left wrist, severing both her radial and ulnar arteries. Her blood began to spurt out from her wrist in rhythm with her heartbeat. In the blink of an eye, there was a large pool of her blood dripping down her arm and onto the white carpet they were standing on.
It was almost as if she was emotionally detached from her body. Ruka just stood there calmly as she watched her blood pool up on the floor. Predictably, her body quickly kicked in its defence mechanism and the blood flow slowed and finally stopped. Within a few minutes, her skin fused over the cut and save for the dried blood stain on her hand, there was no trace of evidence on her that suggested she had been cut.
"That was incredibly stupid," she told Zero in a monotone. "How are you going to explain this to the hotel cleaning staff?"
Zero shrugged. "How did you think we found you? The cleaning crew won't bat an eyelid at this."
"No amount of cleaning is going to erase the smell of my blood from this room."
Zero's smile was quick and wolfish. "Oh, that's what we expected."
This was the calling card he was talking about, Ruka realized with a start. When Akatsuki comes back, her absence will certainly cause alarm. But this was the calling card to ensure that he knew she was captured by a vampire hunter. No doubt Akatsuki would eventually come and find her at the association headquarters.
This was what Zero had intended all along.
"Come on," Zero tugged on her cuffed hands, dragging her out of the room.
I'm sorry, Akatsuki, Ruka thought with a pang in her heart. I guess I couldn't stay safe until you come back.
I hope you are doing better than I am.
Author's Note: In an attempt to get everything out in time, there are bits of this chapter I rushed and I'm sorry for that. If there are any typos or errors, I'll come back another day and correct them. Ah well, this chapter is out and Ruka will just have to wait another chapter before tormenting me. :)
Thanks for all the support you guys have given me. It's really helpful to find out where I'm going right and where I'm going wrong. So please let me know what you think ^_^
Witless Fool
P.S. I apologize if anybody thinks my interpretation of Ruka's powers is a bit unbelievable. The fanbook stated that she manipulates enemies through illusions (not mind control) and I've given my best shot at expounding on it.