A/N: Well, this is the only story that is being posted on time. I took an unscheduled break for writing the past week because it was one of my lower functioning weeks, so I'm sorry if you were waiting for a chapter from a particular story last week. All I really did was outline Bleed Me's next several chapters which I will be getting to work on in the next few hours or tomorrow, so a chapter of that will be out soon. Anyway, please enjoy the chapter and let me know what you think below! :)

They had managed to sequester most of the Day Class beneath the school in the expansive tunnel system as the level Es quite soundly broke through the Academy fence line and began to attack the school building.

The three Noble cousins had settled themselves at the front entrance to the school, acting as guards as several loose Day Class students rushed for the safety of the school building, bolting past the cousins who made to defend the strays with their abilities.

Shards of ice frequently pierced the chests of deranged level Es as waves of fire charred more to a crisp. Ruka's gift was quieter than her male counterparts but equally as deadly as illusions drove the already crazed Es to attack one another.

The school grounds were a chaos as some of the lower classmen in the Night Class fought level Es as well, none of them knowing why the school had been attacked or who had sent the level Es to break the peace the school offered.

Just off the fountain path Yuki and Ichiru found Sayori fighting off a level E with a baseball bat from the gym closet, the human girl breathing a sigh of relief when Ichiru beheaded the E with a slash of his katana.

"Yuki!" Yori cried in relief and the pureblood princess quickly hugged her friend.

"What are you doing out here, Yori? You need to get to the school." Ichiru chided gently and the girl frowned at him with a fury in her eyes.

"I'm not about to hide in the basement when I have the option to fight back." She bit back and he held up his hands in surrender.

"Yori, you could get hurt." Yuki prodded and the blonde girl flicked her in the forehead.

"Yeah, but so could you three and the Night Class." The blonde reminded, "I might not be whatever it is that gives the Night Class the ability to make whips out of their blood or turn someone to ice but I can still help."

Yuki smiled, recognizing the resolve in her friend's eyes- she had that same resolve in her eyes as a human too and who was she to argue with Yori? She would do the same only Yori would probably be smart about it whereas Yuki had made a habit of doing the foolish thing before thinking about it first.

Ichiru sighed, "Alright, but if you get a scratch or a cut, head straight to the school. Level Es will attack you left and right if they can smell your blood."

The blonde nodded and Ichiru handed her one of the daggers he had strapped to his leg.

"Try to keep to the bat, daggers are only suitable for close combat and the closer you are to a level E the closer you are to getting your throat slashed by their claws." He explained and she nodded once more, hugging Yuki before she headed for the Day Dorms to search for other Day Class stragglers.

In the tower surrounded by the broken bodies of several Day Class students and level C Night Class members, Kuran Rido waited for his moment to move, his familiars stretching across the school to keep watch over the battles being waged.

It would be soon, now.

Zero wasn't doing too well as he became surrounded by another large group of Es- for the fifth time that night goddammit.

Fighting wise, he was fine, but he felt like shit.

His head was pulsing in pain and his stomach would not stop playing hopscotch with his innards as he fought and it was more than a little distracting to say the least.

He shot down three, stabbing one in the chest that snuck up on his back with one of the daggers he'd hidden in his boot before shooting two more.

"Here's a thought, Kiryu…" He growled to himself, "Maybe don't run off by yourself when you will probably need someone watching your back."

He shot down one more before the last three collapsed to ash to reveal an approaching Kaname.

"I never thought you'd begin to make sense one day." Kaname drawled and Zero flashed him his teeth.

"You're contagious." He snarked and he thought he saw the pureblood smile for a heartbeat, the grin quickly gone from his pale features.

"Rido has awakened, I can sense his familiars watching the school." Kaname sighed as he stepped closer, scanning Zero for injury.

The silverette nodded, "Cross is at the gates holding off some of the horde- I never knew he was that skilled with a blade. Caught me by surprise when he impaled two Es at once."

Kaname snorted, but said nothing as he sniffed the air for the scent of the silverette bleeding.

"You smell off, like you're in your feminine form, but you haven't been injured yet."

"Impressed?" Zero cocked a brow, "I can handle myself for the most part."

Kaname shrugged.

"Don't think I didn't notice how you didn't answer me." Kaname quirked a brow and Zero scoffed.

"Ask me a real question and you'll get a real answer." Zero snapped, his head pounding with a fury.

He was not in the mood to play twenty questions.

"Are you sick?"

The pureblood stared at him, searching him further and no doubt noting the sweat along the hunter's brow and the slight quivering of his limbs.

"Yes," Zero growled out, "But I'll be fine after I get a chance to throw up in the bushes."

Kaname's eyes narrowed on him, "You are seeing a doctor after this."

Zero rolled his eyes, "Yay."

He knew why he was sick but he would not be the one to distract the pureblood from the plan.

But he would tell him everything once the dust settled, he decided.

Kaname needed to know.

They stared at one another for a moment and Zero reached out, drawing the back of his hand over Kaname's jaw, an indescribable emotion flowing through him for a moment.

The pureblood just stared at him as he did so, allowing the touch.

He pulled away after a moment and nodded to himself.

He blew out a breath and turned, heading for the path to meet up with Ichiru and Yuki, but before he fully stepped away he felt the pureblood grip his hand and pull him back to face him.

Zero stopped the pureblood from kissing him with a finger to Kaname's lips.

"Not a good idea. Kissing the sick is gross and a sure fire way to catch the sick. Or at least the gross."

Kaname smiled and Zero beamed, though he thought that could also be because of the nausea, and not just his pleasure at seeing the pureblood do more that stare impassively at him when he said something funny.

The pureblood released him after a moment and yes, Zero did cop a feel as he left and yes, it was great, even if he knew he'd pay for it later.

Zero turned and headed back for the path while Kaname headed along with Takuma for the Council house.

They both had their roles to play in this, and Zero would play his, right after he finished throwing up.

Fuck, I don't want to deal with anymore of this. How do humans put up with being sick?

But then again, he wasn't really sick was he?

Zero scoffed after he righted himself, shooting down the two Es that had happened upon him.

Several minutes passed of him making his way back to the school building, his abilities not even willing to cast out his senses correctly and essentially leaving him powerless as he shot down E after E, stabbing the few that had managed to get close enough to strike.

He had yet to actually be struck, but he just fucking knew if he didn't get hurt by an E he was going to get hurt much worse by the pureblood the school was facing down.

And he couldn't even risk using his abilities while they were on a fritz lest they turn a level E into an even bigger problem.

(Like what? You may ask. Like batshit insane and vampiric giants, that's what- And before you even ask, yes it had happened before when his abilities were under a fritz for the same reason.)

Is this what being human is like? I think I'd prefer to be a level E or a garden variety hunter than this weak shit, damn.

He made it back to the school, coming across the three Noble cousins at the front entrance to the school as a baseball bat wielding Sayori escorted three Day Class students into the building.

Huh.

He shot the three Es that tried to sideline him one right after the other before nodding to Kain who charred a forth to ash.

He braced his back against the front wall of the building, waiting for Ichiru and Yuki's arrival, the latter he was no doubt going to be yelled at for letting her fight when this was done.

He didn't spare a thought to the moments an hour before after he had shown her his image- wouldn't allow himself to.

It had happened before- where someone had rejected him after he revealed himself to them, but foolishly he had remained at their side because even if he had felt hurt by their reaction, he had not wavered in his love for them.

It had not turned out well for him, but Yuki was not Minoto and she would never do what Minoto had done.

Or at least he hoped.