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Part 8 - DRAMA

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Ruiko stared at Styil for a long moment. "I… don't think Misaka-san would do that, no matter what."

He frowned. "Has she truly never hurt a human beyond biting? I don't believe that."

Ruiko's insides coiled. She hadn't been awake to see it, but she knew Misaka-san had gone berserk in that Judgment fortress where they kept her captive. That was hardly her fault though… as was draining Shirai-san to the brink of death, or drinking Ruiko's blood until she fainted. Yet, wasn't that the exact reason why vampires were monsters? Her shoulders tensed.

"She has. But as far as I know, it has only happened due to limitbreak."

That seemed to spark his interest. "The state of last resort, huh." He looked up into the canvas above them. Ruiko felt bad for a second; she knew Styil had lost his entire family to a vampire that way. Thinking back to how Misaka-san had been in that prison cellar, she didn't doubt even a normal vampire would be near unstoppable in a similar situation. No normal human stood a chance; only skill, luck and weapons could hope to make a difference. Misaka-san's comment about her bat came to mind, and her hand clenched into a fist.

"Styil." She spoke up, and he looked at her. "Why do we fight vampires?"

His gaze was sharp, but he answered. "They are atrocities of nature." Then his gaze softened somewhat. "But that is not the only thing we fight, Ruiko. Remember that Anti-Skill's true mission is to liberate the people of all those oppressing them, be it vampires or Judgment. And if we can, having the two destroy each other would be best." He reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. A shudder traveled through her at the touch. The fact that she couldn't tell if it was pleasant or not was unfamiliar. Usually, it'd make her tingle.

"You are part of a group of people that are fighting for a great cause, Ruiko." He pushed her down, gently, and she let him, filled with both anxiety and excitement. "Remember what I told you when I bought you and granted you freedom?"

She did. "You said I could be whoever I wanted in the new world."

"Yes. And the first step towards creating a new world is removing those oppressing the growth of the people. We will no longer be under the control of vampires nor those choosing to cooperate with them. We will give the land back to the people who live in it."

He was above her now, stroking her head, and Ruiko gasped as his hand touched her sore chest. A crack of thunder sounded above and the rain started drumming against the tent's ceiling. Styil's lips touched her jaw and Ruiko closed her eyes, allowing herself to sink into the state of tranquility she was used to. An odd thought struck her for a second. How come it felt entirely different with Uiharu?

The rain thundered above them while Styil's hands roamed her body, stroking her arms and torso, while his lips tasted the corner of her mouth, her nose, her cheeks and chin. He was gentle, and Ruiko relaxed beneath him. For a split second she imagined Uiharu above her instead and reddened.

There was a sudden rap at the tent's entrance and Styil sighed, before pulling away. "Someone's coming. Listen, Ruiko. I need you to stall for time. If you can make Railgun wait one more day before leaving, we'll be able to hit this big." He got to his feet, adjusting his robe. "Meet me near the broken oak to the west of here early tomorrow morning. I'll have Mitori and Lessar occupy Railgun in the meantime."

Ruiko felt a sudden chill, but she had no reason to refuse. No choice either, really. Styil was her superior after all.

"Yes." She nodded, and he looked pleased; her heart jumped.

"Good girl. Now make sure you get your rest. We need your strength."

He turned away from her and exited the tent. Ruiko lay on her back and stared up into the ceiling for a few seconds, putting an arm across her forehead. Her body felt tingly and weird, and she was conflicted. Styil's advances never bothered her before; it wasn't like it was the first time it happened. But now, for some reason, she couldn't stop thinking about Uiharu.

Someone burst into the tent through the entrance and she looked over, seeing a soaking wet dog. Upon seeing the red fur, she realized who it was.

"Shirai-san! You're completely wet!" She was surprised at first, and then laughed. "Man you look more like a dog than ever! Don't you know you're supposed to shake?"

Shirai-san stood shakily on all fours and glared at her with the most vehement look a dog, or wolf for that matter, could possibly give. Her paws were muddy and the red fur was dripping with water, plastered to her frame.

"Wait, wait, I think we've got a blanket in here." Ruiko reached for the mokeskin pouch that Uiharu had left behind on a crate and rummaged through it until she pulled out a blanket. "Here, let's get you dried up." She got to her feet and Shirai-san tensed up, but Ruiko simply buried her in the blanket and started rubbing her dry. "Be a good girl now~"

Shirai-san growled and resisted, but Ruiko just laughed. In the end she pulled back and grinned at her handiwork. The fur now stood on end in every direction and Shirai-san looked peeved, but slightly more comfortable. Ruiko chuckled and patted her on the head. "You're ten times cuter like this, you know?"

The wolf just glared at her.

The tent filled with an awkward silence while the rain drummed against the canvas. Ruiko's head swirled with undefined thoughts. A while later, when the downpour had become milder, Misaka-san and Uiharu returned. Ruiko sat on the sleeping bag and Shirai-san was lying on the ground, shivering despite the blanket Ruiko had put over her back. When the other two came in Shirai-san raised her head and her tail started wagging, although she glared at it and growled.

"Saten-san, are you alright?" Uiharu looked worried and came right over to Ruiko.

It couldn't become much more awkward than this. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Misaka-san stopped and gazed at her for a second, before looking at Shirai-san. "What's with Kuroko?"

"She was soaking wet but apparently she doesn't know how to shake." Ruiko explained. "So I dried her with the blanket."

Misaka-san's eyes narrowed and suddenly there was a crackle; Shirai-san yelped and the entire wolf body shook as if in nerve spasms. The water sprayed over them and Ruiko blinked.

Misaka-san wiped her cheek. "You better learn to do that, Kuroko. If not," she tossed the wolf a sly grin, "I'll gladly rub you dry down to the last inch."

A shudder traveled through the wolf and Ruiko blinked again.

"Um, so…" she glanced at Misaka-san and was suddenly conflicted. After her conversation with Styil she didn't really know where to put her eyes, and settled on her knees.

Before she could say anything else however, Misaka-san bowed her entire upper body.

"I'm sorry for hurting you, Saten-san. I do respect you a whole lot and I wasn't trying to belittle you by going easy on you." She looked nervous, for some reason.

Ruiko was unsettled. "Ah… It's fine, I guess… I did ask for it."

Uiharu looked relieved and Ruiko's heart skipped a beat. Then she remembered Styil and her heart crash landed at the bottom of her stomach. What was she doing? What should she be doing?

Her hands clenched into fists. "Misaka-san."

The vampire looked at her in question.

"If war broke out between humans and vampires again… which side would you be on?"

Misaka-san's eyes widened and Ruiko clenched her hands even tighter.

"S-Saten-san!" Uiharu looked shocked. "You're—"

"I'm asking her, Uiharu!" Ruiko roared. Suddenly, all the anxiety let loose in a burst of anger. "I need to know if this monster is someone worth following, so just shu—" she was abruptly cut off by a fierce slap to her cheek. Kazari's furious eyes stared her down, but just as Ruiko looked at her, Uiharu's eyes widened and grew terrified.

"S-Saten-san, you… and Styil-san…?"

Ruiko had no idea what it was she had suddenly realized, but her heart jumped into her throat. Uiharu stared at her and tears welled up in her eyes.

"Uiharu…" Ruiko reached out for her, but the cleric turned and ran before any of them could blink. She knocked the tent opening aside and all but tripped out into the camp.

"Uiharu!" Misaka-san went after her, while Ruiko stood on her knees and stared emptily at the spot where Uiharu had just been. Her arm fell limply to her side.

Someone snorted and she caught Shirai-san's glare before the wolf, too, left the tent. Ruiko was left by herself and she stared at the ground, eyes burning with unshed tears. What… what should I do? Slowly she sat back down and then fell over sideways, burying her face into the sleeping bag.

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"Let me down! Let me down, Misaka-san!" Kazari yelled and swung her arms like an angry bee.

"Not until you calm down. I don't want you running off into the forest and get eaten by a vine tree or something." Mikoto didn't expect any of it to calm the girl down, but she still had to say it. She currently carried Kazari over her shoulder, since she'd refused to come with her otherwise.

"I don't want to go back! I don't want to see her again!" It was hard to tell if she was crying or raging or both. Mikoto did not carry her back to the tent however. They were already attracting quite a lot of stares, so rather than entertain their hosts even further, she set route for the secluded back of the camp, behind the other storage tents similar to their own, and sat down on a rock with her load squirming and kicking and whining. Mikoto let her mind wander while she sat there, waiting for Kazari to calm down on her own.

After a few minutes Kazari just hung limply in place, having realized she was getting nowhere.

"You're mean, Misaka-san."

"Sorry about that." Mikoto smiled and put her down on the ground in front of her, but didn't let go of her shoulder just yet. "Are you going to run off?"

Kazari puffed her cheeks out and Mikoto laughed, releasing her. "So what happened?"

"I..." Kazari glanced away, hands curling to fists. "I'm not… sure. It's like I… sometimes I just see, or feel… things."

"Well, that's vague if anything."

Kazari looked right out uncomfortable. Mikoto cocked her head and was just about to ask for more details, when Kazari spoke again. "I just… I just think there's something going on between Saten-san and Styil-san."

"Hmm." Mikoto folded her arms, tapping a finger against her skin. She hadn't picked up anything like attraction between the two, but then again she hadn't been around much when they were together. "There's something odd about Styil alright."

"And Saten-san is acting weird too!" Kazari squealed. "Please, Misaka-san, you have to do something!"

Mikoto stared at the ground while thinking. It wasn't like she could wave a magic wand and clear up everything. In the first place, it felt like there was something going on that she did not know about. Could it be that Saten-san and Styil were simply old acquaintances? Sighing, she looked up at the dark sky. There was a fine drizzle coming down now, annoying but manageable.

"It's hard to fix something without knowing the flaw. Besides," she added, giving Kazari a solemn look, "it seems to me that you're acting out of it as well."

"Eh?" She blinked, as if surprised. Mikoto leaned in.

"I can smell it~"

"M-Misaka-san!" The disturbed look in her eyes barely covered the desire hidden beneath. Mikoto fought back a pleased smirk. She pulled back.

"In any case, we're leaving tomorrow morning. We need to get you to Nunotaba. Before that, let's try to make up with Saten-san again, okay?"

Kazari's shoulders tensed and she stared at the ground. "I got so mad at her."

"I know. But if I can make up to her, so can you." Mikoto grinned.

Kazari huffed. "I'm not a little kid, Misaka-san."

"But you're so cute!" Mikoto pulled her into a hug and the cleric squealed. "I want to hug you till you choke~"

"P-Please don't!"

Mikoto purred, nuzzling her neck almost on instinct. Whatever it was that bothered Kazari so much, they'd find a solution for it in Pihs Looc, she knew it. Until then, keeping her spirits up was the next best thing they could do, right?

"Woooho, what a view. So what's next, you gonna eat her?"

The dry voice cut into the moment and Mikoto looked up in surprise. On the lowest branch of a tree sat a peculiar girl. She pulled Kazari behind herself, glaring at the girl and pulling her lips up in a growl.

"Woah woah, sorry for interrupting." The girl cocked her head. "I was just curious if this is how a meal starts. Never thought I'd get to see it from this close."

Mikoto didn't relax the slightest. She'd failed to notice the unbidden guest and that unsettled her. "Who are you?"

The girl in the tree looked intrigued. "Wooho. Are you challenging me? Sorry to disappoint, kiddo, but I'm too much for you to handle." She stood up on the branch and Mikoto noticed the tail slipping out beneath her skirt. No… is she a—?

Kazari spoke up behind her. "Misaka-san, who is she?"

The girl jumped down from the tree and her tail swung lazily. Unlike Kuroko's it wasn't furry, and Mikoto didn't like the look of it at all. A new growl formed in her throat, deeper than the last. The girl stopped still a good distance away and smirked, one hand on her hip. Mikoto pulled back slightly, still shielding Kazari behind her.

"What's going on, Misaka-san?"

Mikoto glared at the girl, baring her fangs. "You're a succubus."

She looked impressed. "You actually know? Wow. I don't meet many people who can recognize me as one. Though of course," her tail swayed playfully, "you're not really a person, are you?"

Mikoto frowned. "What do you want?"

"Why, what does a succubus normally want when they see a cute human? They want to play of course~" She grinned and started moving to the side as if to circle around them; Mikoto followed her every step closely. She had never actually met a succubus. They were extremely rare, and she wasn't really sure what they could do. They were definitely dangerous though, and not only because of their seductive powers.

"How about you share that treat you have behind your back?"

Mikoto allowed a few electric sparks to leap from her fringe. "Try if you dare."

"Cheapskate." She pouted. "Finally something interesting happens and it's just another filthy vampire and her toys." Suddenly she stepped in and was in front of Mikoto within the blink of an eye, one long claw touching her chin. "Maybe I'll need to get rid of the competition first?"

Mikoto lashed out and electricity torched the ground in front of her in a wide zig-zag pattern, but the succubus danced off with a laugh and remained unscathed. "Dangerous! Nothing less from a matriarch, huh! No worries, I won't touch your food, though you better sleep close to them tonight." With a wink the girl went up into smoke and vanished.

Mikoto let out a deep breath. Kazari was trembling, and Mikoto took her hand.

"Let's go back to the tent."

Kazari burst into a squeal. "A succubus? I really saw a succubus!" The frantic beating of her heart wasn't fear after all, but excitement. "Wow, I really saw one! That's so great, Misaka-san!"

Mikoto's forehead twitched as she pulled the girl along. "Don't you dare go close to her."

"But it's a succubus, aaah~" She was completely lost, and Mikoto sighed. She'd just have to keep an eye on everyone. There was no way she'd let that thing sneak up on her again.

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Kuroko was sniffing. She didn't like to admit that she had been reduced to such behavior, but she was starting to realize that this wolf body did have its perks. Aside from very sensitive hearing, sharper eyesight and incredible flexibility, it did have a good nose. And she could use said nose to find the people she was looking for.

More precisely, she was searching for Styil. Seeing as she couldn't convince Saten-san to speak (though she could have tried glaring her into submission if it came down to it), she decided tracking down the other troublemaking candidate was a better shot. She couldn't really say that she remembered his smell though, no matter how much she wished he was a stinking piece of crap. With the way Saten-san and Uiharu-san had been back there, she'd have liked to smack him good and have him tell her a few facts. She didn't like seeing her friends in disarray, but given her current condition, it was limited what she could do for them. She trusted Mikoto would handle Uiharu, and Saten-san remained in the tent, so Kuroko took her chances on doing some investigating.

It hurt that she didn't really know what to make of Saten-san at the moment. She wanted to trust her, but after what she'd heard from that Lessar girl she would be dishonest to say that there wasn't even a tiny seed of doubt in her heart. She hadn't known Saten-san for that long and knew nothing of her background. Could it be she had actually been keeping something from them all this time…?

She quickly shook her head. I'm not going to judge her without any evidence! Right now, priority is to find Styil and figure out his motives.

She turned the corner of one of the tents and her snout bumped into another snout.

Looking up, she stared right into the panting face of one of the hunting dogs. She grimaced. The mutt's tongue was dangling out and it looked positively thrilled to have bumped into her. It started sniffing her face and she growled. Get lost, mutt.

She walked past it and it followed, whimpering and panting as it kept trying to sniff her. When Kuroko growled again the mutt flattened to the ground, butt up into the air, and tail wagging happily. Kuroko stared at it incredulously. What's that supposed to mean? Huffing, she turned around to keep walking, and the mutt jumped forward and snapped at her legs. It was like someone turned a knob in her head and she snarled, knocking the mutt over and trapping it to the ground. It whimpered and kicked frantically with its legs, but the powerful wolf muscles had no trouble keeping it down.

"Hey, be quiet out there!" Someone opened a hatch in the wooden building beside them and tossed out a whole bucket of fish heads that splattered to the wet ground. Kuroko frowned at the smell and soon a whole flock of dogs were at the pile of fish and happily gobbling it down, even fighting over the best pieces. The mutt under her struggled to get loose and Kuroko stepped away, letting it join the others in the feast. She was about to leave them all behind when her ears pricked.

"Styil-san, why won't you ever look at me anymore?"

A voice broke in through the noisy dog yapping. Kuroko turned her head just as they entered the same alley – Styil and that girl, Mitori. They mustn't see her! She dove into the flock of dogs and snapped her jaws at the one who tried to sniff her, before pretending to be interested in the fish heads as much as them. Sadly she was left with little competition and a half-chewed fish head was right in front of her. Tears stung at her eyes but she remembered Mikoto's words. Act like a dog.

Feeling like the world was betraying her she leaned down and slowly started licking the fish, trying not to cry in the process. It's so good! Why is it so good!

Styil and Mitori were coming closer. He put a hand on Mitori's shoulder. Kuroko quickly looked down at the fish, attempting to look like she wasn't listening.

"I forgot how sensitive you are, Mitori. Do not worry, you are still my only one."

The girl huffed. Styil continued uninterrupted:

"And you're the only one who can do this. I am not sure we can trust Ruiko-chan to be able to hold them here for another day. Do you think it will be ready by tomorrow morning?"

"It should be possible to bring it into the incubation state by then. With such short warning…"

"We don't have a choice. It's not everyday things are set up this perfectly for us. We need to use it to our advantage."

Mitori sighed. "I had Lessar take care of their ride. They won't be able to leave right away."

"Good. We need only light the fire now. Shoo!" Suddenly, a fireball exploded into the mutt pile, scattering them in every direction as they scrambled off. Kuroko was shocked, but it was probably best to do the same. She jumped away from the pile of fish and crashed into Styil's legs. He was already this close!? Horrified, she stared up at him, and he stared back down.

"Oh, it's that vampire dog." Mitori stated, and Styil frowned.

"Get lost!" His hand snapped out and a trail of fire burst out with the motion. Kuroko reacted on instinct and teleported out of its trajectory, barely avoiding having the tip of her tail burned off. Oh damn. She didn't stay around to see their reaction and bolted off. In her rush she stumbled over her own legs and hit the muddy ground in a heap. Rather than trying to get up she teleported forward, landing on her feet again and galloping through the camp until she reached their tent.

She dashed through the opening and skidded to a halt, looking up frantically. Mikoto and Uiharu weren't back yet, and Saten-san was lying face down on her sleeping bag. A rush of heat went through her veins and Kuroko teleported forward, landing with her front paws on Saten-san's back.

"Uwah!?" The battle mage jerked awake and turned her head to look right at Kuroko. "Shirai-san!"

Tell me! Tell me everything! Kuroko was growling in annoyance; that she couldn't speak was grating her nerves. Instead her words came out as barks and Saten-san yelped.

"What? What is it!?"

"Wraff waw vaff!" Kuroko stomped her paws into Saten-san's body and the girl yelped and squirmed.

"Stop it! You're wet and muddy and – Shirai-san!" She attempted to push her away but Kuroko's resisting wolf body was just too strong.

Tell me, Saten-san! Who are you, and what is your goal? "Woff! Vraff!"

"I don't understand a word you're saying! Just get off will you!"

Kuroko growled and barked and Saten-san clenched her jaws and pushed even harder. "Guuuaaaaah fine! Maximum strength!" The muscles in her arms hardened as the buff took effect and Kuroko tensed against the new power pushing at her. The growl in her throat grew fiercer as she stood her ground and Saten-san groaned in strain, until they were both dead-locked in a battle of strength and neither of them budged a centimeter.

"What the heck are you two doing?"

Mikoto and Uiharu had returned. Uiharu carried a paper bag with something that smelled delicious, and Kuroko was unable to keep her tail from rising and wagging.

"M-Misaka-san!" Saten-san sounded part relieved, part troubled to see them. "I don't know what's wrong, but Shirai-san won't get off!"

"Come on, Kuroko." Mikoto walked forward, and before Kuroko could explain (as if), she grabbed her by the neck and pulled her away. "What did you do? Sheesh, you're dirty, and not the right kind." Kuroko wanted to protest, but it was a losing battle. She hung in her lover's grip and sneered at Saten-san. Mikoto walked past Uiharu and gave her a gentle shove. The cleric looked nervous, clutching the bag.

"I'm… sorry, Saten-san. I didn't mean to slap you. I brought some taiyaki!" Even more fish! She held the bag out as an offering. Saten-san didn't answer at first, but Kuroko could see that her shoulders tensed for a moment, and then relaxed.

"Me too. I'm sorry. To you Uiharu, and… Misaka-san too. And Shirai-san. I'm sorry, everyone!"

It was a lot of apologies for someone who'd decided to betray them! Kuroko growled.

Mikoto, however, merely smiled. "It's okay, Saten-san." No! No, it's not! Whatever they were planning, it involved Mikoto, Kuroko knew it. The matriarch could never go anywhere without getting into trouble!

Saten-san looked up at them, and suddenly cracked a grin. "So, Misaka-san. Don't you think Shirai-san needs to be dried off again?"

"You're right." Mikoto let Kuroko onto the floor. The first instinct to flee was smothered when Saten-san covered her head with a blanket and soon, they were all rubbing all over her body and she yelped beneath the blankets. My dignity!

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Ruiko couldn't sleep at all that night, and not because of the excessive tayaki chomping they'd resorted to. Uiharu had bought way too many considering neither Misaka-san nor Shirai-san would eat them. Still, they were all gone now. She lay on her back staring at the ceiling of the tent, mind racing. On her left side, closest to the entrance, lay Uiharu. She was sleeping soundly and sometimes mumbling strange things in her sleep. A black tendril of smoke curled around her fingers whenever it happened. It was somehow both cute and terrifying at once and Ruiko found herself wondering if she should wake her or not. In the end, she settled on not.

She hadn't seen Styil since that time, and wondered if she'd feel more comfortable if she was with them. Lessar, Styil's familiar, was here, as was Mitori, another senior for Ruiko. It should be natural to join them. She had been a member of Anti-Skill for six years and it was her home. She wanted to be with them, but at the same time, she wanted to be with Uiharu and the others. Which feeling was real? She put a hand on her forehead as her eyes teared up. Then her jaw clenched and she glared into the darkness above. Why was she even questioning it? She was on a mission, to make this world a better place, and she had no reason to question her desire. Sure, she felt all comfy and warm in this company, but in the long run, did that even matter? She knew others who had led comfy lives as well, ripped apart in an instant by those creatures called vampires. Or even destroyed by those sworn to protect them, Judgment.

It was the two people on her right side that truly tore her apart inside. Uiharu, if it was only her, she'd have taken her with her. But as it were, she had to compete with Misaka-san on that front, and the vampire matriarch was not to be taken lightly. Neither was Shirai-san, for that matter. Ruiko was more confident about taking her on, but the paladin was dangerous in her own right, not to mention Misaka-san would back her up. They represented everything that was wrong with the world.

Suddenly, a small chuckle left her mouth. What was she doing; planning to kidnap Uiharu and spirit her away? She closed her eyes and a teardrop ran down her cheek. In the end, she viewed neither of them as enemies. Like Uiharu had said, weren't they friends?

Friends with vamps and Judgment? It was ridiculous.

The inside of her eyelids became the same as back then. Always pitch black. It was the same room every time. She was blindfolded, cuffed, and sent in with the other girls. Apart from training in the cage and being pitted against each other in what was dubbed 'chick fights', they were also sold on a regular schedule to anyone interested. They never knew if it was a human or not. Some nights she was alone, and drunken hands would grasp for her body and stroke her hair; other times, they were more girls, and you could tell the client was paying extremely well because the caretakers were all giddy. They would always whisper in the hallways; 'If only Judgment knew this is what happens with the orphans they bring us…'

And sure enough, even though the orphanage was run by Judgment, Judgment was nowhere to be seen whenever one of the girls screamed in terror inside that room. When the fresh smell of blood filled their nostrils, when the gulps and moans of the person – or monster – in that room reached their ears, where was Judgment with their silver spears and shining armor?

Ruiko had huddled in the corner, tensing when the client would pick a new girl, maybe the one behind her, maybe the one to the left, or maybe they snarled and scared them all into screaming and scurrying to the other end of the room, only to laugh when they stumbled over their own feet.

The countless trips into that room made her ears ring from the sounds of the memories, but she never saw – never once, did she dare look. If she had, would she have seen someone like Misaka-san?

The last time had been Styil. He hadn't grabbed for her, nor tried to bite her. He had undone the blindfold on her eyes and she had looked right into his kind smile.

"I am here to bring you away." He had said. "You are free from this place. Let me show you a new world, one where you will be able to be whoever you want to be. Will you come with me?"

Of course she did. She never asked why. She never questioned his motives. He had been part of an Anti-Skill group conducting a raid on the orphanage in order to free the children, and he had killed the client that had originally meant to be there that night. Ruiko was one of the few survivors of the rescue operation. The others had been taken hostage by the caretakers and were killed in the crossfire that followed.

Her hand clenched into a fist and she opened her eyes into slits, glaring at the tent's canvas. It seemed greyer now, and she was feeling sweaty. About time to leave. She removed her arm from her face and sat up, moving as silently as she could. Uiharu was mumbling again, another tendril of dark smoke playing around her head this time. Ruiko looked at her and a tender smile formed on her face.

When everything is over, she told herself, and when the new world is real, then I'll come and get you, Uiharu. Or at least, try. She couldn't resist stroking a finger over Uiharu's cheek and the girl shifted slightly. Then Ruiko's gaze hardened and she stood up, grabbed her bat and hooked it onto her belt, before lightly treading over Uiharu's feet and sneaking out of the tent.

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Kuroko was chasing her little sister again, growling and snarling and trying desperately to not bite her, and failing miserably each time. She woke with a start when her teeth clamped around a frail arm and heaved for breath for a second before realizing she was still in the tent. And her teeth had clamped onto the edge of her sleeping bag. The grey light indicated the sun had not risen yet, but it couldn't be long. Sadly, she was still a wolf. Her heart fell. Somehow, she had hoped that a night's sleep would reverse the transformation. Was she ever going to become human again?

At the very least she was securely in Mikoto's embrace, and the vampire had her face buried in Kuroko's furry neck. At first she calmed down, and then she realized the growls were continuing even now. It wasn't her however; it took a few seconds before she realized it was Mikoto. They were low, almost inaudible, like the equivalent of tiny snores. Cute even. But when the vampire shifted and Kuroko felt her teeth brush by the base of her neck, she stiffened.

Hungry, again? It was unlikely, but of course, a vampire's hunger may fluctuate just like a human's. It was greater in periods, but Mikoto had always seemed stable. Besides, there was something that had been on Kuroko's mind lately. Mikoto seemed to react oddly whenever they cuddled like this. Kuroko remembered how she'd become all weird after hugging her in the meadow, and before that, when she bit her tail, Mikoto had all but fled the scene.

Kuroko frowned and felt sweaty when Mikoto pulled her closer and the vampire's fangs rested dangerously on the back of her neck. She was asleep, she could tell by her breathing. So then why? She tried to turn her head to look at the matriarch, and that was when she noticed movement. Saten-san was up and picking up her bat. Kuroko frowned. What is she doing this early?

The battle mage quietly snuck out of the tent and Kuroko's heart jumped. Is she going to see him? There was no time for hesitation. Kuroko teleported out of Mikoto's embrace and tossed a look at the sleeping vampire, tail swinging thoughtfully. Then she decided, and teleported outside with the next heartbeat. She would simply follow and make sure Saten-san was alright. She wouldn't want to leave Uiharu alone in the tent, and she didn't want to worry her either. She just needed confirmation.

Sniffing the air, Kuroko was pleased to find that she recognized Saten-san's scent, and followed it through the silent camp.

XXX

It was peaceful at this time, just before the sun was about to rise. The birds had barely woken, only a single twitter here or there to be heard. Smoke trailed from one of the wooden buildings in the distance. Ruiko's stomach voiced its need for breakfast but despite the rumbling, she wasn't actually feeling hungry. It was as if her throat had grown thorns which extended into her stomach.

She felt oddly calm though, despite her insides being a mess. She knew what she had to do after all, and it became clearer with every step that took her away from the tent. It wasn't like a few months of cozy memories could overshadow years of oppression and mistreatment, and nobody knew that as well as the people she'd shared the past six years of her life with. Styil was the one who had saved her, given her life back. She was not about to abandon him because of whimsical feelings that may or may not be real.

Then again… what if the world could be like this? What she'd experienced with Uiharu and the others was something Anti-Skill had never prepared her for. To say she was confused would be an understatement. But there was no more time to waste on all these thoughts. It was time to do her job.

She found the oak Styil had mentioned without too much trouble. It was some ways out of the camp following a hunter's track, and she had to cross a small river before she could see it. A magnificent oak, broken at the base and lying helplessly across a tiny hill. Styil sat by the trunk, the glow of his cigarette visible in the grey morning light. Ruiko smiled when she saw it. He'd always smoke a specific brand before a job.

He looked up when she approached, smiling when he saw her.

"Ruiko-chan. I'm glad you came."

"Of course." She stopped in front of him. "And you're smoking those cigarettes again, huh. Your throat should have shriveled up ages ago."

He chuckled and stumped it into the trunk behind him. Then he glanced towards the camp, only visible by the trail of chimney smoke.

"Soon this place will be history."

Ruiko felt a twinge. At the very least she'd hoped to lighten her mood by joking, but he went straight to business.

"It's disgusting. Making food for the vamps? What have humans been reduced to?" He clicked his tongue. "Moreover, why is Judgment trying to protect these people?"

Ruiko had no answer.

"You know how it is, Ruiko-chan. They feed, they get bored, then they leave to relieve their boredom at a brothel or, in some disgusting cases, an orphanage."

A piercing pain erupted in her chest, like a stubborn weed.

"Not all of them do though."

He glanced at her. "Maybe not. That matriarch you've befriended certainly seems to be an odd exception, if Judgment's records tell the truth." He sighed deeply. "Say, I heard she was captured by Judgment. I have no idea if that was unprovoked on her part or not, and I don't really care. But how did she get out?"

Ruiko glanced at the ground. There was no use lying. "I came with Shirai-san and Uiharu to help her out. She was captured unprovoked. We got her out."

His eyes glinted. "How?"

She stared at him. "What do you mean?"

"She was captured by Gilmore, right? That crazy powerhouse of a man wouldn't have let a prize like that go so easily. How did you manage to get her out?"

Ruiko's mouth felt dry all of the sudden. "Misaka-san... fought him."

He smiled, as if he already knew and just wanted to hear her say it. "Fought and killed, hm? I heard some of the Judgment members coming through the camp the other day discussing the rumors of his untimely death. Apparently it was a mess."

"It wasn't her fault though! They starved her for two months and she went into limitbreak!" For some reason, Ruiko felt the need to defend her, but Styil merely smiled at her.

"That's what's so great about vampires. No matter what, in the end they are just mindless beasts."

She searched desperately for something to say in Misaka-san's defense, until she realized she was doing it again. Trying to justify a matriarch's slaughter. She bit her lip. There really was no room for both Anti-Skill and Misaka-san in her life.

He looked back in the direction of the camp. "If you asked her, would she help you in your cause?"

Ruiko shuffled her feet. "I don't think Misaka-san or Shirai-san would do anything like that." It hurt, but it was true. To them, she was… well, she didn't really know.

"Shirai-san? Is that the girl with the flowers?"

"No, Shirai-san is…" Should she tell him? But she could tell that he had already connected the dots.

"The dog? A shapeshifter, huh. I suppose she's already tattled on us, then."

Ruiko breathed in deeply. She had to stop beating around the bush and shape up. This was her job. Holding back information out of personal desire held no place here.

"Shirai-san is a werewolf and a Judgment member. I don't know why, but she seems to be stuck in her wolf form recently and she can't talk."

His eyes widened and then he laughed. "Judgment sure has it rough! Now their own ranks are filling with beasts and hanging out with matriarchs." Wiping his eyes, he calmed down somewhat. "That's fine. Our plan is already in motion. By nightfall, the rest of my group will arrive and the camp will go down. If all goes as planned, Judgment will show up after the fact." His lips quirked upwards. "However, I've added a little extra dose of excitement to the mix."

Ruiko watched as he pulled out a small bottle with a brilliant red liquid inside.

"Sometimes even Judgment discovers some interesting things. I got this little recipe from an insider. A mix of blood berries, turok blood and some other fancy ingredients, boiled at just the right temperature all night."

That didn't sound like anything nice at all. "What is it?"

It looked like the question excited him. "Artificial limitbreak."

Her eyes grew large. "What do you mean?" That prison cellar flashed by her mind and her gut tightened in anxiety.

He stroked the bottle almost lovingly. "This little wonder here will be our ticket to disaster. Get some of this into the Railgun, watch her go berserk and attract Judgment. Lean back and enjoy the show that follows." He seemed enchanted by the idea, but Ruiko felt cold. "When was the last time humans fought a matriarch? Was it the battle against Accelerator one hundred years ago? It will be magnificent."

He handed the bottle to her and Ruiko took it, gingerly. It was warm, as if it were alive.

"What… am I supposed to do?"

"I doubt she'd drink it if you told her to, even if she's a friend. Besides, it's not complete yet. We didn't have enough time. At this stage, it needs an incubator." He looked upwards for a moment, and then met her gaze. "You drink it, Ruiko. Then tonight, at my signal, you make the Railgun drink your blood. The potion will have been taken up into your system by then and it's potent enough to affect her even if she drinks just a little. Once the effect kicks in you escape as best you can – or die trying."

Her fingers clenched around the bottle and a lump formed in her throat.

"This could be our chance to restart the war." He looked thrilled at the idea. "Just imagine, an entire Judgment regiment taken out by a matriarch. They won't be able to gloss it over and keep going as normal. There will be reactions from family, friends, politicians. Demands for revenge. The hatred for vampires will grow and Judgment will have no choice but to comply or fall to ruin while resisting the people." He drew a sharp breath and stood up, stepping close to her. "The shape of the new world will begin to form in the ashes."

Ruiko stared up at his eyes, her heart beating quickly. Yet despite her determination, something inside her resisted the idea.

"Misaka-san… I don't feel right using her like that."

His eyes glinted and he leaned down, holding her chin gently. "Ruiko-chan, no matter how kind she may seem, she is one of them. She has killed more humans than you can imagine and if the rumors about her are right, even more vampires. No matter the outcome, she will be a great ally to us. I don't care if she takes out Judgment or her fellow vampires in the process."

Ruiko breathed shallowly, heat rising to her face by their close proximity. "This is crazy."

"So crazy it just might work." He leaned in and their lips touched. Her eyes widened in the same instant, because behind Styil, with the most wrathful look she'd ever seen, a red wolf appeared out of thin air. Its jaws were wide open and ready to bite.

"Ultimate slowmo!" She reacted on instinct and the world slowed to within an inch of its normal speed. For a split second she just stood there, watching Shirai-san with her heart in her throat, and then she moved. Grabbing Styil's shoulder she span past him, raising a leg in a roundhouse kick. She didn't even need her buffs in this state. Her heel connected with Shirai-san's chest and she could feel something give inside the wolf body. A cold spear tore through her and then the world resumed its normal pace and Shirai-san shot across the ground in a blinding blur, crashing into the dirt and rolling over it in a spin before ending on her side. The wolf made a shriek of pain and Ruiko's insides froze over.

"The Judgment dog?" Styil turned in surprise, watching as Shirai-san attempted to stand up, though her strength failed and she collapsed back to the ground.

"Woah, she moved quicker than I expected!" Lessar sat on the trunk of the oak, looking over at the wolf with a surprised look on her face. "Wonder if she's got succubus blood, the way she can teleport like that!"

Styil scratched his cheek. "We'd be in trouble if Railgun gets a reason to take us out before we can set the plan in motion." He looked at his familiar. "Lessar, make it look natural."

"Sure can!" The succubus disappeared in a puff of smoke and reappeared beside Shirai-san, producing a lance with a clawed blade from thin air. Ruiko couldn't even close her eyes as the girl slashed down at the wolf, tearing the skin in one smooth motion sending a spray of black blood over the grass. Shirai-san wailed and Ruiko's insides felt like they were turning to icy cold metal.

Styil touched her shoulder. "This is unfortunate. But tell the Railgun she was attacked by a bear while defending you, and I'm sure she'll buy it. Friends believe each other, don't they?"

Ruiko didn't know what to say. Shirai-san was her friend, wasn't she? And yet she'd hurt her just like that, with no hesitation. She's not a vampire. In the end, Shirai-san was a human, just like her. She may have werewolf blood, but a werewolf was not the same as a vampire matriarch.

Ruiko knew she was dead. If Misaka-san found out what had really happened, she would kill her for sure. Not only Ruiko, but Styil, Lessar and Mitori, maybe even the rest of the group once they arrived. She had no doubts about Misaka-san's no-kill policy, but in this situation it had no meaning. When she learned of Ruiko's betrayal, there was no saying how great her wrath would be. She had killed Gilmore; she would kill them just as easily.

Her hand clenched around the bottle again and she stared down at it. It's my only choice. If Misaka-san went berserk, then at the very least – then at the very least, she might fulfill some of their wishes after taking them down.

For Anti-Skill. And for the new world.

She raised the bottle, uncorked it and swallowed the contents in one long swig.

Styil's hand touched her cheek and she realized she was crying. He wiped the tears away and as she finished the bitter drink, he pulled her into an embrace. "You're such a good girl, Ruiko. I know you'll perform flawlessly."

But Ruiko could only see Shirai-san bleeding on the ground and did not feel good at all.

At this point, it was better to just stop thinking altogether.


Note:

Oh no! Ruiko is experiencing the terrible dilemma of wanting a happy-go-lucky life and having to work! Is she going to give in to the stress?