A\N: So, I don't have a chapter estimate, but I have this thing all planned out from now to the end, and I don't see it taking TOO much longer... four chapter maximum. Thanks for following this far, and please leave a review!
Mentions:Blackenflames, Seto k4iba1, fluffybunny39, Silvereyedfreak, cybersuzy, AmericanIdiot1, CapriciousUke, and Aniwolfgirl thank you all for reviewing! Also, thanks to all those who faved and followed!
Now, onto the story!
Akatsuki tilted Zero's head back, shining a light down the swollen throat. He sighed, shaking his head, and turned to the blonde doctor on his right.
"Ichijo?"
Ichijo shrugged, swabbing Zero's arm and handing it off to Shiki. "Find out what that is. Stat."
Shiki nodded and disappeared out the door. Akatsuki checked his watch for the twelfth time, sighing.
"How much longer until the drugs wear off?"
"About ten minutes. Hopefully I can be done before then, and we won't have to give him another dose." Ichijo check his pulse and then check his eyes. "Dilated." He quickly moved back up to Zero's head, feeling the lymph nodes in his neck. He moved back down and slipped his fingers into Zero's waistband, feeling the swelling there as well.
"Zero, I have to take a quick peek, okay?"
But Zero was both drugged and paralyzed, making a response impossible. Ichijo went ahead anyways, looking into Zero's pants and nodding. He pressed on Zero's stomach, nodding again before to rushing to yet another part of the body.
I feel useless just keeping an eye on his throat.
A soft whimper caught his ear, and he jumped, releasing Zero's lower jaw and letting him close his mouth.
"Ichiru," he moaned, and Akatsuki frowned.
He keeps saying that. Even when we first found him, all he could say was 'Ichiru'…
"Aido!" Akatsuki took hold of his cousin's arm and lifted him up, lightly slapping around his face to wake him.
A gun fired nearby, and Zero let out a scream as he collapsed. Ruka stood over him, hand outstretched and eyes blank.
"Ruka! Did you shoot him?"
Ruka glanced at him, her voice firm. "Quite the opposite."
Akatsuki left Aido propped against the wall and approached the fallen Level D. Zero lay flat on his back, screaming in pain, a gun clutched in his left hand. Akatsuki took a deep breath, trying not to terrify the boy any further, and pulled the gun from his grasp.
"Ichiru! Ichiru!"
Zero screamed, thrashing aimlessly, and Akatsuki looked at Ruka for help. She watched him closely, shaking her head at a complete loss of what to do.
"Ichiru!"
Zero choked on the foam swelling in his throat, and he rolled over, coughing onto the ground and still twitching from the intensity of the pain he was in.
"Do you have the…" Akatsuki glanced at the frantic boy now trying to get to his feet and chose his method of communication carefully. "…T-R-A-N-Q-U-I-L-I-Z-E-R?"
Ruka nodded and pulled the weapon from her pocket, aiming it at the delusional boy, a questioning look in her eyes.
"Do it," he said quietly. "We'll never get him back home if he's like this."
She nodded and aimed again, pulling the trigger and watching the purple feathered dart sink into his neck, sending him sprawling to the ground in a matter of seconds. Akatsuki moved over towards him, feeling his pulse and finding it fast and erratic.
"We better get him to Ichijo. Fast."
Ruka nodded and moved to wake Aido up.
Zero whimpered, clutching Akatsuki's shirt even in unconsciousness. "Ichiru… I'm sorry…"
Akatsuki sighed, turning away from the boy lying on the table. "You got this, right Ichijo?"
Ichijo nodded cheerfully and continued to work on Zero, while Akatsuki stepped out and turned slightly to the right, looking down at the chair that was stationed there.
"Tell me what happened."
Aido looked up at him with tired, bloodshot eyes, nodding wearily. Akatsuki walked around him, sitting down on the chair to his right.
"Well," Aido started, wincing and rubbing the sore spot on his neck where Zero had torn him open. "I thought everything was fine. I mean, you heard how he was acting on the radio, kinda funny, but nothing super unusual. I wasn't with him, so I couldn't see any body language. I thought he was coming for a drink of water, but when he came around the corner, he was… not right."
Aido stopped, and Akatsuki crossed his arms over his chest. "Explain."
Aido didn't seem to want to say anything. "You'll get mad at me," he mumbled, glaring at the floor.
"What do you mean?" Akatsuki scowled. Aido hadn't… let Zero bite him, had he?
"I kinda… well, I guess I knew. Sort of. His eyes were all red and I could see his fangs, but… I thought… I don't know, I guess I didn't think. I just blanked, and I wanted to believe I was just seeing things." Aido slumped his shoulders, glancing up at Akatsuki very briefly. "I should have acted faster. Maybe I could've stopped him…"
Akatsuki sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose for the tenth time that day. What now? Aido could have stopped him, but he didn't. But Zero lost control, and if Aido had not seen the signs, he wouldn't have known to stop him. It was both of their faults… but Zero was going to hate himself enough when he woke up. And Aido obviously was convinced he was about to get reamed…
This would be so much easier if the gang leader was around to help. I have no clue what to do.
"Look, I'll work out some sort of… discipline… thing… for you two later. For right now, I want you to rest up and recover, and I'm going to stick around here until Zero wakes up."
Aido looked at the door, a sad and somewhat fearful expression on his face.
"Aido. Ruka's in the kitchen. Go eat."
There was a threat beneath the soft words, and Aido heard it. Getting to his feet, he nodded and began walking towards the exit. "By the way…" he muttered, stopping for a second to think. "I don't think that church was the right place to look. I didn't see anything."
Akatsuki nodded, and Aido walked out, leaving the noble alone with his thoughts and the silence.
"I'll ask you once more what you know of Shizuka's plan."
Kaname waited a brief second for a reply, and where there oh-so-unsurprisingly wasn't one, he brought the crop down on Ichiru's backside, flecks of red hitting the stones as blood flew from the child's back.
Kaname paused in the interrogation to take in the boy's situation, shaking his head as he did so.
Ichiru had been utterly unresponsive as far as questions were concerned, doing nothing but crying and struggling from the start. Kaname had started off at what he considered a fair and light punishment, not wanting to cause the boy harm, but an hour later, Ichiru stood before him half naked, bright red stripes coloring his back, bottom, and thighs.
"Ichiru…" Kaname approached him quietly, the child's whimper ringing in his sensitive ears. "Please, just cooperate. I've interrogated your brother, now I'm interrogating you. Do you have any idea how hard it is to thrash a little boy for being confused? It's terrible! I hate being the bad guy, and Zero has caused enough problems in that department." Kaname felt his composure slip just slightly, and he regained it, taking a deep breath and speaking in a soft, calm tone of voice. "Ichiru, tell me what you know of Shizuka's plan."
Ichiru didn't move for several moments, and then slowly, his head began to tilt in Kaname's direction. He stared up at the pureblood imploringly, lavender eyes filled with tears, silently screaming, 'please don't make me do this.'
"Ichiru." Kaname kept his tone smooth, but there was an authority there that he had refrained from using before. A pureblood's authority.
The silver-haired boy let his head fall against the wall, tears streaming down his cheeks, his fingers forming the sign Kaname had directed him to use over an hour and a half ago.
"Thank you."
Kaname tenderly removed the gag from the boy's mouth and released his chains, turning him around and holding him at an arm's length, eyes searching his face for any signs of betrayal or deceit.
"Now talk," he commanded, giving him a slight shake to remind him why the pain had stopped.
"W-well, I think you figured out most of it, but… but Shizuka knows exactly where you are right now. And she's waiting for you to get out so she can follow you back to the sewers. She sent me down here because she thought I could keep you busy while she got a whole band of Level Es from the Hunter's Association together. She wanted to have an army of sorts when she attacked you…"
Kaname nodded to himself. "Which is why Kaien supposedly had to reschedule our meeting. And that's why you have a blanket with you—she wanted to make sure you were comfortable."
Ichiru blushed and nodded. "She's so kind…"
"Finish talking about her scheme."
Ichiru jumped. "Uh, r-right… well, after she got Kaien out of the way, she came to get Zero and you. She knew Aido was already attached to Zero, and you were tired from dealing with him, so it was the perfect time. Unfortunately, the soldiers she sent out weren't able to get Zero—just you."
Kaname nodded to himself, feeling a slightly anxious gnaw at his stomach. "Just get to the part of the plan where she attacks!"
Ichiru looked surprised. "There… really isn't a plan. Everything's in motion at this point. You get out, she follows you, the army destroys you all. Kaien is missing, Zero is probably going wild with hunger, seeing as she drugged him while they were out looking for you. The two hunters who would be the best of help are gone."
Kaname stopped for a moment, trying to pull together a plan in his head. There had to be something he could do to retaliate, right?
"Ichiru… don't you feel any remorse? Watching your brother be turned and drugged…? Ending the lives of hundreds of vampires?"
Ichiru looked at the ground for a few moments, and then raised his gaze, eyes cold. "No."
Kaname looked down, slowly releasing the boy and nodding dejectedly. "Oh, I see…"
Shadows flew from the purebloods feet, twisting around the boy in question and fastening him to the wall. Ichiru yelped on contact, wriggling like a madman as the darkness faded into solid metal.
"Ichiru, you have shown yourself someone not to be trusted. Thank you for your help, though."
Ichiru grit his teeth, glaring at Kaname between the bars. "What are you going to do about it? You can't go to them!"
Kaname smirked over his shoulder, beginning his trek down the tunnel. "You made a couple of mistakes, Kiryuu-kun. First of all, if she's 'waiting for me to get out so she can follow me back to the sewers' she already knows where I am. Second of all, she already attacked me in my very own bedroom. I have nothing to worry about as far as giving away our location, because that knowledge is already compromised. You make a few more errors, but for a first-timer, you have my congratulations. I'll see you again."
With those final words of farewell, Kaname disappeared. His vampire speed carried him through the halls and corridors, sniffing every inch of the labyrinth until he smelled clear, evening air.
"Bingo…"
He sped up a little more and soon came to metal wall. Running up to it, he placed his hands on the surface and pushed a little, grinning went he felt it dent beneath his hands. Taking a few steps back, he gathered a small amount of power and threw his hand forward, watching as the wall crumpled up like a ball before breaking apart and falling to the ground.
"Your other mistake, Ichiru, was a shameful one. You forgot to mention a hunter on the list of those who would be a worthy adversary of Shizuka."
Kaname would have to wait until he was back underground to make the call, but he had just the person in mind.
Toga Yagari.
"Akatsuki! Akatsuki, come on! Let me out!"
Akatsuki glanced at the doorway, listening to the young hunter banging on the plexiglass with a vehemence that surpassed his twelve years. He didn't sound angry, though. Just upset.
"I'm sorry, Zero, but until we figure out what that drug was, you are quarantined."
Zero put his ear to the glass. "What?"
Akatsuki let out a sigh and walked over to the speaker, holding down the green button and repeating himself. "I'm sorry, Zero, but until we figure out what that drug was, you are quarantined."
Zero slammed his fists into the glass one last time and then turned around, throwing his back against the wall and sliding down to the floor.
Akatsuki hesitated before pressing the intercom again. "Zero, this may not be the best time… but I'm confused about something, and I think you can help."
Zero let his head rest on his knees, shoulders jerking in a brief shrug.
"The Kiryuu family was disowned by the Association and deleted from the records on the same night you were taken to the hospital. Why?"
Zero swallowed hard, fiddling with his fraying shoestring. Akatsuki released the button so he could hear Zero's reply, assuming there was one.
"It was Ichiru."
Akatsuki's eyebrows show up, but he said nothing. The boy he was calling out to in his sleep?
"He's my twin brother—younger twin, that is—and he betrayed the family. He befriended a pureblood and gave away vital information. It was Shizuka Hio. She attacked and killed my parents, and I…"
He trailed off, his voice catching in his throat. Akatsuki looked left and right down the halls, knowing he was going to regret this next move.
He opened the door and slid inside of the quarantine room, walking over to the adolescent on the floor and standing in front of him. Several moments of silence passed between them, stretching out for quite some time before Zero raised his eyes to meet Akatsuki's, tears fighting his eyelids for release, teetering just over the rim.
"Why did he betray me?" he whispered, trying hard not to sniff. "What did I ever do to him?"
Akatsuki pursed his lips, unsure of what to say. Other than that one moment when Zero was utterly delusional, Akatsuki had never seen the boy come close to any emotion but anger. To see him on the verge of tears was… unsettling, to say the least.
"I don't know, Kiryuu… I wish I had an answer for you." He got down on his knees and seized Zero's chin, tilted his head back just a little more. "I do know this, though: Everyone down here would not think even for a moment of betraying you."
Zero smiled slightly and nodded. "Yeah… I know. I really should be dead by now." He shook his head, ducking it back down again. "I can't believe I bit Aido."
Akatsuki chuckled softly, turning around and sitting down beside him. "Me neither. You guys really hit it off."
Zero laughed lightly. "Literally. What with me shoving my knee into his nose and stuff."
Akatuski laughed along, resting his hand in the young vampire's hair. "According to Kaname, that was pretty great. Funny, too."
Zero continued to toy with his laces, a light smile playing at his lips. "Thanks, Akatsuki. You know… for… everything. Ruka's food, Shiki's science, Ichijo's medical help, you and Aido and Kaname and—just everyone. Everyone has been amazing." He then flushed bright red and cleared his throat. "I mean, you know, for vampires."
Akatsuki grinned, standing up and dusting off his black jeans. "You know, you're not half bad yourself. For a level D hunter."
Akatsuki smiled to himself, walking out of the room and down the hall towards the kitchen.
Now what? We're out of leads for Kaname, and yeah Zero shared what he knew. Shizuka attacked him and took Ichiru, and he knows nothing more than that. It would be much more helpful if we could get our hands on the other twin, but that could take years. I wouldn't even know where to start.
Letting out a sigh, he began to roll up his sleeves.
Better get some coffee. It's going to be a long night.
