Hello my wonderful readers! FrostlyToBe here with another chapter, and quite soon too compared to the previous updates if I do say so myself! Some questions will be answered here to those of you who might have been confused from the last chapter. You may have noticed I changed the rating finally. That is mostly because I'm not too sure if a teen rating will be appropriate anymore. Anyways, the werewolves are getting that much closer to finding out what the vampires want with Kuroko! I won't keep you from the story any longer. Enjoy!
Chapter 10: The Art of Quality
Midorima was having a hard time trying to concentrate. It should have worried him, never has he been so distracted before on a mission. He knew that one wrong move in a place like this could easily be the death of him, and not a pretty one at that. Of course, when has a death ever been "pretty?" The most he could expect out of his possible demise was a gaping hole in his person and a bloody pool to lie in. He internally wished that his time of death would never come to that but with his current lifestyle, it was hard to picture anything less than a gruesome end. The supernatural inhabitants of the world weren't ones for finesse anyways. But despite all the thoughts clouding his mind, the medic still believed that he could put in a little more effort to be aware of his surroundings and steel his guard.
It has only been a few minutes since their departure from the entrance of the abandoned city and the greenette has yet to catch the slightest glimpse of a fledgling. It was unusual; the newborns were usually volatile creatures. The smallest scent of a werewolf should have them lunging out of their hiding holes, their fangs bared and aimed for the kill. It was mostly instincts that drove the leeches to do this, the impulse encoded in their genes was too much to handle and withstand for their overwhelmed minds. It wasn't uncommon for some vampires to be turned and not have the capricious nature against their millennium old enemies. It just meant they had more control over themselves than the others. However, it unnerved Midorima to find that there wasn't one vampire in the area who contained the instinct.
There were few reasons as to how this circumstance was possible. One possibility was that the vampires they thought to be hidden in the abandoned city were actually not even present at all, the parasites already having deserted the zone before they got there. It was plausible, but only to a certain degree. It didn't explain the fact that the place still reeked of their pungent smell, the scent sickening to the werewolf's senses. It was too fresh to be considered anything more than an hour old, so the fledglings were definitely concealed somewhere in the dark metropolis. If only there weren't so many different smells bombarding his nose all at once, maybe then he would have an easier time picking one out from the rest.
He could only figure out one other reason that could fit the situation, and it wasn't one that Midorima was too fond of. The best possible scenario to the vampires' strange behavior was the prospect that someone was training them, teaching them how to resist their urges on confronting werewolf threats. The idea didn't sit well with the viridian-eyed wolf. If someone was indeed showing the newborns how to control themselves then that could mean that they could also be teaching them how to fight. Fledgling vampires weren't very powerful to begin with, but adding on the perk that they could defend themselves would make the newborns especially troublesome. The thought that someone was training the parasites made a portentous feeling sink to the bottom of his stomach.
The notion that someone was teaching a few dozen newborns how to fight only made sense for one thing: war. Takumi Kenshin, the head vampire to the Nisshoku Clan, was preparing for battle and Midorima could only guess as to what it could be about. But before he could continue thinking more on the subject a shuffle to his right caught the bespectacled teen's attention. Muscles quickly flexing into a defensive stance out of memory and reflex, Midorima's eyes narrowed in the direction of the sound. His body tensed, prepared to spring but his nose caught the scent of someone familiar as the wind blew in his direction and Midorima felt himself relax.
"It seems that I am not the only one who has failed to find a fledgling." A voice commented through the fog, their tone light despite their words.
Midorima tampered with his goggles, fixing them to sit more comfortably on the bridge of his nose before replying, "Someone appears to want these newborns to be kept alive. Their hesitance to confront us is troubling."
Midorima listened as footsteps continued to get closer, the silhouette in the dusty air eventually forming the shape of his pack member. "Ah, looks like you noticed too." They said just as the medic's viridian colored eyes met mismatched ones of red and gold. Midorima watched as his alpha came to stand next to him, the heterochromatic-eyed wolf reserved despite their surroundings. "It's puzzling that Kenshin has begun this outbreak of new vampires, but the hidden motive for it isn't hard to decipher." Akashi's stare leveled with his and Midorima found himself glancing away out of instinct and respect for the werewolf alpha.
"It's for war. Takumi has begun to execute a plan for conflict, most probably against us." Midorima answered the shorter teen, crossing his arms in distaste at the idea of the vampire enemy's conspiracy.
"Yes," Akashi agreed, folding his arms as well while leaning back on a building behind him, "but a war for what?" he asked, closing his eyes with a small sigh. Midorima found he couldn't answer that question, at least, not yet anyway. Hopefully, they can stop the parasites before their plan ever unfolds itself. Midorima scowled at himself, there was no point in wishing because they would definitely put a stop to the bloodsuckers no matter what. Anything those leeches planned was bound to be horrible.
"Is there something you need, Akashi?" Midorima questioned out of pure curiosity, breaking the silence that had fallen over them. The said alpha opened an eye to peek at him, raising an eyebrow in questioning. "It isn't like you to have small chats during a mission. There must have been something more you wanted to ask besides the suspicious activity of the vampires." The greenette quickly explained, tilting his head to the side as he studied the way Akashi smiled at him.
The redheaded alpha chuckled at his reasoning, closing his eyes again as he rested his head on the broken concrete behind him. If it had been anyone else besides Akashi, Midorima would have been reprimanding them for being so careless in the middle of a fledgling nest. It wasn't safe to be so relaxed and uncaring while vampires were prowling the area and could easily catch you off guard unaware. But this was Akashi he was thinking about, and Akashi was certainly their leader for a reason and could no doubt take care of himself. That, and the leader obviously felt safe enough to let down his guard around Midorima, believing the werewolf medic could fend for the both of them if need be. The beta always felt somewhat flattered that the alpha held that much trust in him.
"You know me too well, Shintarō." Akashi spoke with a curve of a soft smile on his lips. "I need you to do something for me," he said while pushing off from the wall. "Even though his training has been progressing well enough, Kuroko Tetsuya still doesn't contain the ability to hold his own in a fight against a vampire. I was originally planning on using him as bait for this mission but . . ." the redhead paused in his explanation, a faint frown marring his features, "something changed my mind." He roughly shook his head before continuing. "Anyways, since we can't rely on Tetsuya's skills alone to protect himself I want you to shadow him and make sure he stays safe and out of trouble."
Midorima's eyebrows scrunched together at Akashi's words. "Shadow him?" the tall werewolf asked himself in confusion after Akashi looked expectantly towards him. "But, why me?" he knew he was treading on dangerous waters as soon as the words left his mouth, but Midorima found that he couldn't stop them from rolling off his tongue. Akashi's dislike towards the small bluenette had never been a secret amongst the pack members, he was sure even Kuroko himself knew that the alpha held an unhealthy animosity towards him than what was necessary. Midorima believed Akashi's low treatment to the high schooler was because the teen had unwillingly imposed on their lives, causing everything in the pack to become a jumbled mess.
Suddenly having a human come crashing into their lives certainly was a new experience. The medic knew that Akashi had a hard time accepting new people, it was almost impossible for the redhead to build even a small tolerance for most things that weren't of their pack. However, despite Akashi's ill attitude as of lately, something inside of the werewolf told him that things were going to start changing soon among the werewolf pack. It was just a matter of whether that was a good thing or not.
"I trust you the most out of the others to handle this task fluently." Akashi either dismissed Midorima's question or didn't care for the other's inquiry, simply continuing on as if he hadn't said anything. "We still don't know what those parasites want with him, and Tetsuya's life is the only way to find out. Make sure to it that his life is kept safe on your brief mission." Midorima gave a "yes sir" and Akashi nodded at him, uncrossing his arms as he gave a look around the street. "Also, keep an eye out. The vampires might not be opting to attack us at this moment, but I have a bad feeling that something more is going on here."
Midorima gave a slight nod of his head in acknowledgment, replying with an, "Alright." Akashi was gone in a blink of an eye as soon as the word left his lips. Midorima sighed to himself, finding it odd that the heterochromatic-eyed alpha would have a sudden change in attitude towards the little human that had been tagging along with them recently. Akashi almost seemed . . . worried for Kuroko. Midorima shook his head at the thought. No—he must have read the alpha wrong, but there was definitely something upsetting Akashi's thoughts. Deciding to worry about the alpha later, Midorima turned on his heels to begin searching for the small phantom instead.
Speaking of Kuroko, the bluenette was certainly a mystery. Ever since he had joined them the day Kise and Aomine brought him home, there has been something stirring beneath the werewolves' morals. It was miniscule at first, barely noticeable to all of them as it slowly began to form from a small change. Maybe it was because it seemed so irrelevant at the time that Midorima had easily overlooked it, bypassing it as a mere bump in their already hole-infested road. But now that he thought about it, there was no doubt something was altering the werewolves. Perhaps it was just the sudden shift they had to incorporate into their lives, that "shift" being Kuroko. Midorima wouldn't lie, it has been especially hard to deal with the human teenager over the past several weeks.
He wasn't saying that Kuroko was a problem-child or anything, he was actually fairly polite and was tolerable to be around. Hell, Midorima would even say that he preferred Kuroko's presence over most of his pack; although it wasn't hard to imagine, since he had Kise and Aomine to compare the phantom to. It's just, with them having been in a feud with the vampires for so long it was hard to concentrate on something that wasn't battle related. And teaching the human about their ways was definitely difficult. It wasn't by any means Kuroko's fault; the kid was all too eager to learn about the supernatural and gave his full attention when he could. It just wasn't something Midorima was used to. They had been keeping their identities hidden from the human population all his life, suddenly giving away the precious information to a random human they barely knew made it hard for him to sleep at night.
He had questioned Akashi's motive when they had first began teaching Kuroko of the supernatural realm. Why would they willingly give someone the power that could destroy them all? The thought that Kuroko could eventually attain the ability to end their existence was frightening. He had voiced his reluctance to his alpha but Akashi didn't seem too concerned over the matter. Midorima knew the redhead may have had some sort of hidden intention for their collaboration with a human of all things, so he left the topic alone, though thoughts still plagued his mind over it. The weeks that passed were filled with them teaching Kuroko, preparing him. For what, Midorima didn't know. How was a mere human supposed to help them against the vampires anyway? Midorima didn't trust him.
He'll admit he probably wasn't the nicest people at the time when his suspicions ran wild around the bluenette. It was hard trying to imagine the teen being anything other than a spy for the bloodsucking leeches. But as the time spent with him passed, Midorima was able to get a better grasp over Kuroko's personality. The phantom truly seemed like he wanted to help them, and the greenette could never detect a lie from Kuroko, and he has yet to see any ill intention come from him either. Kuroko was almost too pure to be in their world, the bluenette always completely honest and like a child when he was given something knew. It almost hurt the werewolf to think that the pale bluenette had been thrust into their blood stained life without a choice. He internally wished this life wasn't forced upon Kuroko, but Midorima knew it was too late for Kuroko to return back from where he came.
Now, after so many weeks of spending time together, Midorima could honestly say that Kuroko had grown on him albeit he still didn't trust him completely—though he didn't think he would ever be able to trust someone not of their pack entirely. He's accepted the fact that the little teen would now be a part of their lives, whether he liked it or not. So, being mature about the situation, Midorima had decided to at least try and get along with the high schooler, it would be better to make the best out of the situation as he knew Kuroko probably wasn't going anywhere any time soon since he's come to learn a lot about their secrets. Besides, he's found that it was getting easier to accommodate the bluenette in their lives, the little phantom's presence having become something they were accustomed to. However reluctant they may be, Kuroko Tetsuya was slowly becoming a part of their pack.
Midorima faltered in his steps, the thought making something lurch inside of him as his eyes widened. How was it that a mere human had the capabilities to receive the acceptance of a closely knitted werewolf pack? And if Akashi's previous words and consideration were anything to go by, then even he was starting to see the small bluenette as one of their own. The cognition that Kuroko—who was practically a stranger to them all—was being accepted so soon was baffling to say the least. What was it that made the teen so special? Midorima sighed as he felt the beginnings of a headache start to form around his temples, the slight pounding sending spikes of pain through his head. It was all too much, even for him. Bringing a hand up to rub at his forehead listlessly, Midorima decided to concentrate solely on finding Kuroko and save himself from making his headache any worse.
Lifted his head up, Midorima gave the air a tentative sniff only to slightly gag at the repulsive stench that wafted up his nasal cavities. It would be futile to search for Kuroko by scent alone. There were too many pungent stenches that reeked of the leeches in the area, making it virtually impossible for the werewolf to sniff him out from this distance. Besides, even if he tried he would only get an even worse headache from the onslaught of the sickly sweet vampire scents. The greenette narrowed his eyes in annoyance, letting out a huff of air as he turned around to head back to their starting point at the entrance. It would appear that following Kuroko from his tracks would be the best possible way of finding him, that and the fact that his scent would have left a trail, allowing the werewolf-beta easy access to finding his whereabouts without having to suffer from the parasites' stench.
Once he made it back, Midorima's viridian orbs studied the ground around the vehicles, easily picking out Kuroko's smaller trail of footprints on the dusty concrete. Taking off at a light sprint, the medic quickly journeyed through the winding streets at a speed most humans could only hope to ever accomplish on foot. His nose twitched when he caught the bluenette's faint scent of vanilla, the clear smell a relief to the werewolf who had been relentlessly bombarded with the leeches' reek. Rounding a street corner Midorima came to an abrupt stop when he was met with nothing, Kuroko's scent and footprints both having disappeared completely.
Confusion making his brows furrow, the beta glanced around his surroundings. What was this? Why did Kuroko's trail stop so suddenly without a hint to where it had gone? There was no possible way that the human could have disappeared like that. Midorima knelt down next to the last portion of a footprint, the mark broken hallway as it met a part of clean concrete. It looked undisturbed, so a fight hadn't broken out and Midorima couldn't see any other footprints in the area. Kuroko's scent had also mysteriously dissipated into nothing, the only thing left in the air being that sickening odor of vampires. A frown marred the greenette's pale features as he breathed in the night air, noticing a change in the potency of the reek in the wind. Leaning down so that his nose came within a few inches of the ground; Midorima closed his eyes as he gave a deep inhale of air.
His eyes snapped open as a low growl escaped his mouth, his lips twisting into a snarl. Those damn leeches had been here! Their stench still clung to the street, fresh compared to the rest of the scents that wafted through the air. They had gone through this way, most likely following the little phantom as he traveled along none the wiser, covering his tracks and masking his scent with their own. Midorima lurched onto his feet. They had been here no more than five minutes ago, he could still catch up with Kuroko if he hurried.
The only downside to this situation was he had no idea where he could be, and if he took a wrong turn that could mean life or death for the little phantom. Shaking his head to get rid of the paranoia lacing his thoughts, the beta studied the way the footstep faced in a certain direction. Opting to take a chance and trust his instincts, the werewolf took off at a jog down the street, hoping that Kuroko didn't get any sudden ideas to go snooping into ominous places.
Five minutes had already passed and Midorima was starting to get worried, the feeling latching its claws around his heart and squeezing relentlessly as it forced fear into his thoughts. He had gone down several different streets and alleys, sometimes even bypassing the same ones again and again as he grew agitated from the lack of hints to give him even the smallest idea on where Kuroko could be. Stopping next to a street sign, the werewolf contemplated whether or not he should try and contact the rest of the pack and tell them of his situation. It would certainly be the best thing to do considering Kuroko's life was very well on the line in this predicament. Reaching into his jacket to pull out his cellphone, Midorima swiped the screen to call Akashi when a gunshot rung through the air.
The greenette stilled for a second, his ears zeroing in on the direction from which it came from. It wasn't very loud; the shot sounded like it was muffled, almost as if it were inside a building or underground. If he had been any farther away he was sure he would have missed it. Midorima's brows creased together. There were only three people in the pack who had guns, excluding him that left Kise and . . . Kuroko! Midorima thought with a jolt as he shoved his phone back into his pocket and sprinted in the general direction of the gunfire.
Midorima hoped that it was Kuroko who shot the gun, at least this way he could find out where the little phantom had wondered. But something inside him secretly wished that it wasn't, the only reason for Kuroko to have pulled the trigger on the weapon would be to protect himself. And that meant it was only a matter of time for Midorima to reach him before something drastic happened.
Pushing his legs to go faster, Midorima swerved around a corner and came to a halt at the building in front of him—or at least what was left of it. The place looked like a catastrophe waiting to happen with its missing walls and cracks throughout the brick. Sounds of a fight filtered through the air into the werewolf's ears and Midorima caught Kuroko's choke of pain that came from deep within the station. Pulling his SIG P320 out of its holster on his thigh, Midorima automatically cocked the gun out of habit while he rushed into the building without a second thought.
After he found the stairs and made it to the bottom, the greenette's cut stones of viridian met the disturbing sight of a bloodied vampire raising a rock above her head fixing to strike it upon the helpless bluenette beneath her. Midorima's reaction was instantaneous, having aimed the weapon at the leech's head the moment his eyes came into contact with the scene. Die.
The vampire's sapphire orbs snapped up to meet his own, as if she heard his thought. And in the brief second before he fired, her eyes clouded in fear as his fingers tightened around the trigger to release a loud bang into the air. A strong sense of satisfaction traveled through the werewolf as the lone bullet split through the underworlder's flesh with deadly accuracy. The power behind the metal's force pushed the parasite backwards onto the ground, decorating the cement around her with pieces of her brain and chunks of flesh. Relaxing his tight grip on the handle of the gun, the werewolf felt a sigh of relief escape his lips. That was too close for comfort. He mused to himself while making his way through the minefield of broken debris to the shaking bluenette on the floor, the hammering of his heart in his chest beginning to slow as the relief of the situation began to sink in.
Kuroko was milliseconds from becoming a human juice-box for the vampire, and Midorima internally chastised himself for being so late upon arriving at the scene. If he had appeared even a fraction of a second later than what he had than he probably would have entered the underpass to see the floor painted with the little phantom's blood, the life having already left Kuroko's cerulean orbs. Midorima shuddered at the thought. He needed to start training more often, accidents like this couldn't happen again—at least, not without casualties. And Kuroko's life was definitely not something that could be the gambling chip for such circumstances, the pack would have his head and Midorima was sure that he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he allowed something as dire as that to happen to the innocent bluenette.
The smaller teen looked absolutely exhausted, his body being raked with small tremors as his chest heaved to steady his erratic heart. A pang of worry struck the greenette's usual stoic thoughts, and the bespectacled male watched as Kuroko stared wide-eyed at the gory death before him. The medic inside of the werewolf immediately began assessing just how injured the human was in front of him, taking notice of the blood that was lightly trickling from a wound hidden behind pale locks of blue, the liquid leaving a trail of crimson on the side of his face and dripping from his jaw to stain the front of his white T-shirt. As his eyes traveled over the other's frail form, Midorima deduced that besides the head injury, the only other wounds present on his form were scrapes and bruising on his knees and palms. The little phantom appeared to be completely fine—if only battered up a bit.
Another breath of air left the werewolf's lips as his thoughts were filled with solace at the other having no critical wounds. The head injury might be a lead to a slight concussion, which worried Midorima, but when the medic caught the way Kuroko's pupils dilated and reacted normally to the glare of the flashlight he figured the phantom would be all right. Eyes trailing back to the vampire again, Midorima felt impressed that the human could have lasted so long against one of their life-long enemies and live to tell the tale.
Most humans were utterly helpless when they tried to defend themselves against a vampire. Of course, most of them didn't expect the vampire to be a leech in the first place and thus weren't prepared to fight for their lives. Kuroko had at least been given a heads up and a month's time of training on how to stand his ground when opposed to one. But, no matter the circumstances, it was still quite a feat to accomplish for a human.
His ears picked up the sound of disgust leaving the little phantom as Kuroko swiftly scooted himself away from the mess of gore in front of him. Since Midorima had stopped to stand directly behind the bluenette, Kuroko's back roughly came into contact with the werewolf's shins, halting the teen from dragging himself any further from the gruesome sight before him. Despite the werewolf's newfound respect for the little phantom, Midorima felt something slip past his lips, the words taking the form of an insult more out of habit than intention.
"Having fun?" as soon as his words hit his own ears, the werewolf internally winced. He hadn't meant for it to sound so patronizing, the words not having registered in his thoughts before leaving his mouth. He watched as Kuroko's head snapped back, cerulean-blue orbs meeting cut stones of viridian as the two stared at each other. Tilting his head at the way Kuroko's eyes flared in anger, Midorima felt his lips give a twitch to form a discreet smirk. Even after all the little phantom has been through he still had a fighting spirit contained within that frail body. Midorima silently praised the smaller teen.
"You know, most people would have called for help when in such uncompromising circumstances." Midorima mentally kicked himself at his comment. He tried to sound like he was joking to ease the atmosphere of its tense qualities, but he utterly failed and only managed to sound like a condescending asshole. Nice going. He scolded himself.
Kuroko scoffed at him, obviously taking the horrible attempt at humor the wrong way. And Midorima didn't blame him; he probably would have socked the person if they said something like that to him directly after having fought for his life.
"I'm sorry," Kuroko's soft voice filtered through the silent air, his tone irked, "but it must have slipped my mind." Midorima didn't react to his sarcasm, knowing that the cause for its bite was because of a misunderstanding. He watched as the phantom attempted to haul himself up to his feet, clutching at a boulder to lift himself. The action proved to be too much for the injured human, and Kuroko wobbled on his feet dangerously before toppling head over heels to the floor. Midorima's reflexes easily allowed for the werewolf to grab hold of the smaller teen's shoulder and steady him before he tumbled over and fell into an undignified mess. When Midorima realized just what he had done he retracted his hand like lightning had struck him, surprised that he had even helped Kuroko. The dust in the air must be getting to my head. He thought while shifting around the other to kneel next to the lifeless leech on the ground.
He lifted his hand to press two fingers to her neck, checking to make sure the vampire wasn't just playing dead. After a few seconds of receiving nothing, Midorima's viridian colored orbs trailed down her body to take in the several wounds inflicted on it. One of his eyebrows rose when his eyes caught the remains of a half-healed bullet hole in the vampire's chest, the wound's blood having soaked the whole front of her ripped dress in a river of bright red. The bullet ran through her ribs, planted a few inches below her heart. "What the hell happened here anyway?" He asked tersely, giving a glance over his shoulder to peer at Kuroko.
Kuroko gave a small jump, the action most likely would have gone unnoticed by most people but Midorima's skilled eyes detected the way Kuroko's shoulders slightly tensed in surprise. "Well . . ." the little phantom appeared to struggle on where to start, his eyes darting away to stare at the floor in thought.
Midorima knew that all lot had happened to Kuroko in such a short amount of time, and ushering him to hurry wouldn't be the best course of action to take. Being patient was vital to someone who was still trying to process the battle they had gone through, especially if it was their first one. And so, that was what Midorima did, waiting silently without interrupting the bluenette as he told of his run-in with the leech. The werewolf caught the ways Kuroko seemed to falter in his words, his face lightly scrunching up in confusion as he attempted to recall the recent events. Kuroko finally came to an end when the story reached the point that Midorima had stepped in, his words melting into silence once again. Midorima's eyes narrowed at the uncomfortable look Kuroko was displaying, the phantom having grown unsettled from retelling his fight for life or death against the vampire.
It must have been hard for the human to stare death in the face like that. Midorima could only imagine what it would feel like to be plucked from your sheltered life, experiencing everyday life as a normal high school student without a care in the world, then one day, getting thrown into a strange world completely unprepared, trying to make sense of it but only succeeding in tumbling over your own feet like a newborn child. Midorima felt a stab of pity for Kuroko's predicament. The greenette had been born into this world, not knowing any different. The werewolf couldn't really relate to how Kuroko must be feeling but he knew that if he actually began pitying the human out of all things, then it would do more harm than good. If there was one thing Midorima has come to learn about the mysterious bluenette, it was the fact that he hated to be pitied.
"So the vampire—whom you insist is named Yuki—toyed with you like a despicable child would a doll, relished in the game of destroying your mentality, then almost forced you into oblivion after having won the battle in your amateur street fight. Then she died after getting shot by me—is there anything I'm missing?" Midorima spoke, maybe a little too indifferently to be considered anything but haughty. Well, it's better than babying him. The werewolf thought, not being one to sugarcoat things. Besides, there are worse things out there that he'll have to deal with. The viridian-eyed werewolf caught the way Kuroko's eyes seemed to roll in irritation, a huff of air leaving his as he replied with a "yes."
Midorima cocked an eyebrow at that but didn't comment, opting instead to rummage through his jacket in search for his flask of gasoline. "There's just one thing I don't get." The beta began. "You said that Yuki kept talking about how she needed to take you to her master, but you haven't told me why. Did she say anything about their plans regarding you at all?" Midorima asked, pausing to look at the little phantom in the eye, gauging for any certain reactions. Kuroko physically struggled trying to remember what Yuki had said during their conversation, his eyebrows creasing together to form a line.
"Actually, I remember her saying something about these people." Kuroko started, his voice slow while he thought about what had transpired. "She said that they were important, and that they . . . they needed me for something. I forget what it was but she said that I played a very important role for these people."
Midorima's mind flashed with several scenarios. He felt himself mumbling something out of habit but he didn't try to hear what he was saying, his thoughts too occupied with the confusing news Kuroko had given him. The vampires specifically wanted Kuroko, just Kuroko. For what, he didn't know, but something in the back of his mind pushed an idea to the surface. These 'people' . . . he wondered, thoughts carefully forming themselves into something he didn't want to acknowledge, but despite his reluctance they plowed forward ruthlessly. Could he mean them? Midorima thought with confusion. But how could he? They were supposed to be locked up for eternity, practically dead to the world and to never be brought to the surface. The time of the immortals was forever a lost memory, forgotten over time as life continued. Midorima internally scolded himself for being so stupid. There was no way Kuroko meant them. Was there?
The werewolf shook his head, mentally telling himself that he could bring up his assumptions to the alpha later. If anyone were to know it would be Akashi Midorima decided with finality while he brought out his flask full of the foul smelling oil. Twisting of the cap, the medic began to drizzle the liquid over the lifeless form of the vampire, making sure to thoroughly soak her. A shift from in front of him alerted Midorima of Kuroko taking a step back as the air was filled with the pungent smell the gasoline harbored, then Kuroko choked out a question inquiring what he was doing. Midorima replied with a swift, "I'm going to burn the body," and put the lid back onto the flask before returning it back into his leather jacket.
The werewolf pulled out a small box of matches. "Vampires don't always die when shot in the head. Burning them ensures that they stay down for good." He explained, striking the match against the tiny box and watching as the stick burst into a burning flame of red. "Besides, it also destroys any evidence left behind." Midorima listlessly tossed the flame onto the corpse below him, the fire immediately erupting into a flurry of uncontained heat over the vampire's body. Eyes calculative as he studied the way the flames seem to give off an ethereal sight, Midorima shook his head lightly before treading over to the discarded gun and forgotten flashlight left on the floor. He picked them up before heading over to stand next to Kuroko, who was still staring at the corpse with an unidentifiable emotion swimming in his cerulean orbs.
"Here." The beta said, his words cutting through the sounds of crackling flames. Kuroko blinked at him in surprise as Midorima held out his belongings to him. While the little phantom slipped the flashlight back into his jacket and secured his gun on his thigh once again, Midorima's eyes lowered to meet the injury hidden behind the curtain of blue on Kuroko's temple. It had thankfully stopped bleeding, but as he recalled Kuroko having difficultly trying to recall the recent events Midorima figured the small bluenette had indeed experienced some form of a concussion that caused a slight case of amnesia. "When we get back to Akashi's remind me to look at that." He said, worry lacing his voice. Midorima blanched as soon as the words left his lips, realizing that he had actually sounded like he was concerned for the human.
"It's not like I care or anything, but it's my job to make sure all of us are properly healed and healthy once we come back from these kinds of things." The werewolf explained almost too quickly afterwards, a desperate attempt to try and appear like he wasn't worried over the other's wellbeing. Kuroko smiled at him in amusement, obviously catching onto the werewolf's horrible effort to hide his slip of words. Midorima internally scowled at himself. Roughly turning himself around, the greenette hurried to leave the building, noticing that the smell of burnt flesh was beginning to get overwhelming. Kuroko followed behind obediently, rushing to keep up with Midorima's longer stride as the werewolf led them outside and onto the street.
It was only a few minutes later that they ran into Murasakibara, and changed their direction to meet up with the rest of their pack. Along the way, Midorima's mind was full of terrifying scenarios surrounding the future plans of the vampires, his thoughts centering on what Kuroko had told him. It unsettled him, the idea of what the vampire's intentions were towards Kuroko and what it meant, and why it involved the . . . Originals. Midorima physically shuddered. If it's what I think it is, then we're all doomed.
"You bastards!" his voice screeched through the air, grating on Kise's sensitive ears like nails on a chalkboard. Kise's golden orbs held a lackluster cloud, their color dulled as they represented what their holder's personality was like: bored and highly annoyed. Kise stared, unamused, at the ravenette vampire chained in handcuffs. The metal made clinking sounds as he struggled where he lay next to a support column with his hands clasped behind his back. "When my master finds out what you're doing he'll kill you all!" he screamed again, throwing hateful glares at each of them.
Kise sighed and shifted his weight, finding a more comfortable position to rest as he leaned against another metal pillar. The leech hadn't stopped his bellowing since they found him, shouting insult after insult at them like it would help him escape in some way. The blonde made a scoffing sound. The vampire was an idiot if he thought riling up werewolves was a good idea. The only thing he could possibly get out of it would be a gruesome demise; werewolves weren't something to mess with if you succeeded in making them angry.
It just went to show how young the fledgling was though, since its experience with werewolves was next to none. Or, he could be trying to call for help, raising his voice to catch the attention of his vampire friends. But it appeared to be useless, as it had already been five minutes since they captured him and there were no signs that any of the leeches were going to come rescue their apprehended clan-mate. Can't you shut up then? Kise whined internally.
God how he hated vampires. The dead parasites were the biggest pain in the ass to deal with for the werewolf. They were like roaches with how many they had in numbers and the fact that they never seemed to die no matter what. It was a constant annoyance when two more of them came out of nowhere whenever they managed to put one down. Even though some could be centuries old, the vampires had yet to learn when to quit. Of course, if the vampires actually decided to lay low for a while and not do anything that required the work of the werewolves then Kise was pretty sure that life would get extremely dreary fast. Maybe it was a good thing that there were vampires around. They were, after all, the reason why werewolves came into existence in the first place.
But there were some things that the blonde werewolf wished could change. Like the agonizingly sickening scent the vampires contained that made Kise want to choke himself to death so he wouldn't have to suffer from it in their presence. Even now the werewolf was having a hard time resisting the urge to leave the building they were currently in so he could escape from the stench that wafted from the restrained vampire in front of him. The copy-cat knew that he had a more sensitive sense of smell than the others did. It proved to be quite useful in certain situations but when it came to being within the direct vicinity of a vampire for more than a few minutes, the smell tended to give him a painful headache. Kise lifted a hand to rub underneath his nose, closing his eyes while imagining he was anywhere else besides here.
"Shut the fuck up, you damned bloodsucker!" Aomine yelled at their century old enemy, his voice ending in a snarl. Kise could tell his pack mate was starting to get just as annoyed as he was at the leech. Kise watched the vampire bare his fangs at the werewolf, but remained silent nonetheless. Thank God. Kise sighed in relief.
The fledgling hissed in irritation as he lay on the floor, his teeth clenching together as he strained to pull the handcuffs latched around his wrists apart. The metal chain between the cuffs didn't budge, its latch holding securely against the ravenette's attempt at freedom. Kise made a sound of amusement. The vampire's eyes snapped up to his, bright green meeting gold in challenge as the leech let out vicious growl. "What the hell are you laughing at, you fucking dog?!" he screeched.
Kise found the little vampire's struggle to be highly entertaining, what with the leech still not getting it through his thick head that there was no possible way he was going to get out of this. The cuffs securing his wrists might not be anything special to the average eye, but unbeknownst to the shrieking idiot, the restraints were actually enhanced by magical properties—courtesy of their friend. It was impossible for the newborn to break through them by force.
The metal was casted with a powerful spell that modified its current form and reinforced its durability to withstand any endeavor for freedom . . . well, usually. There had been a few times where the handcuffs had snapped easily at the slightest pull, like brittle glass. That was why they also injected the parasite with a small dosage of dead man's blood, the substance filtering through his veins and rendering him extremely weak, just enough so it would be an exertion to get to his feet but not sufficient to cause any serious injury or pain. They needed this vampire alive after all.
"Jeez, when are they going to get here?" Aomine asked no one in particular, bringing a hand up to rub tiredly at his eyes. "It's already been like five minutes!" he complained after a glance at his phone for the time. Kise would have to agree with Aomine on his impatience. It shouldn't be taking their pack-mates this long to find them, they did have Murasakibara leading them here anyways so what was with the prolonged absence?
A soft sigh came from across him, alerting the copy-cat of their alpha's presence again. "Daiki, have you forgotten that Tetsuya is with them as well?" Akashi had been quiet the whole time, keeping himself at a distance from the vampire and watching him with calculative eyes. It was the first time he had said anything since Kise got there. "Of course their arrival time would be delayed." Aomine looked a little miffed that he had missed something like that but didn't retort, only turning to glare at the leech as if he had been the reason for his forgetfulness.
The jade-eyed vampire's expression gained a thoughtful look, his features morphing into one of recognition after a few seconds. "Oh, you mean that little human you've been keeping on a leash lately like a pet? Kuroko Tetsuya, right?" the restrained underworlder spoke with a flash of fangs forming a sneer. "Man, I heard he's a cute little human that's still in high school and has a strange lack in the presence-department. Not many humans out there with that kind of special gift." He rattled on before a leer made its way onto his face. "It's too bad really. If it wasn't for you shitheads then I would have already been able to sink my fangs into his flesh—it's not every day you meet someone like him, ya know? Maybe he'll taste as good as he looks~"
"You sick fuck." Kise's eyes narrowed out of their own accord, the words leaving his mouth in a snarl of distaste. The vampire let out an amused chuckle, his shoulders shaking in mirth at their disgusted faces. The blonde werewolf refrained from snapping the parasite's neck to wipe the grin off his face, keeping his arms crossed over chest securely. Aomine's fists shook as he clenched them at his sides, the dark bluenette having trouble abstaining from tearing the vampire apart limb from limb. No one threatened one of their own without punishment.
"I can just imagine it," a dreamy haze slithered over the young ravenette's features, "the little human begging for mercy as I slowly bite into his throat, his pure blood rushing into my mouth. The taste would be like nothing I've ever experienced before." He made a sound of ecstasy at the thought. "He would struggle at first—they always do, but I'll make him enjoy it and want more." Kise felt bile rising into his esophagus, the vile substance burning like acid. "Then, just before the last of his heavenly life has drained from his body," the fledgling's gaze traveled up to meet Aomine's, his eyes ablaze in challenge, "I'll kill him."
The words seemed to set off something inside the hotheaded werewolf as his eyes widened, the black pupils within expanding till they almost painted the whole iris. Kise couldn't react fast enough before Aomine rushed the bound vampire with an ear-splitting roar, the distance closing between them in a single leap. The ground where the werewolf was previously standing shook with the force, cracks breaking in the cement as it was pushed down from the raw, uncontained power. Kise could only stare in awe at the frightening sight that was Aomine when he was severely pissed. The werewolf's reflexes and agility far surpassed Kise's own, rendering him useless to try and stop the rampaging wolf. But that couldn't be said for the alpha that moved to block Aomine's path head-on.
Aomine stopped a few feet away from Akashi, snarls leaving his mouth as he glared at the alpha preventing him from ending the despicable vampire's life. Kise watched cautiously as the two held a stare down, neither relenting in the silent battle. Akashi held firm in his spot, his head held high to gaze into Aomine's orbs of fury as he shielded the vampire from the ganguro's sight. Kise felt himself shiver at the scene before him, a strike of fear traveling up his spine after looking into Akashi's mismatched eyes. He had only seen this look a few times from the absolute alpha.
The red color in his right eye was like that of molten lava, the red tint blazing with hell itself at those who defied him. And the left was filled with a burning light of melted gold, the intensity giving the illusion that one could actually feel heat radiating from the pools of color. It made those who decided to disobey want to curl up in a hole forever, the power something that would haunt anyone's nightmares. This was the truest form of Akashi displaying his dominance in the pack. This was Akashi showing the world that he held the highest position: Alpha. And there was no way the alpha was going to let his subordinate defy him.
Aomine stilled, his growls diminishing in volume as the seconds passed by. His azure eyes were wild with the wolf, his body tense and prepared to spring. But Kise saw the way Aomine clenched his jaw, fighting a battle internally with the beast that was running rampage in his thoughts, destroying any and all sense of rationality. The blonde werewolf knew that Aomine was struggling to remain calm and regain control of the wolf. It would be a death sentence if he were to fight Akashi after the alpha had initiated the challenge first, and Aomine didn't want to fight their respected leader even if his wolf inside was snarling at him to make the first move. But Kise knew that Aomine had trouble reining his wolf in, the bluenette's past problem was still something that clung to his heels, unrelenting to let go as it dug a hole of despair for Aomine.
"Daiki." Akashi spoke, his voice neither soft nor stern as its even tone filled the air. Aomine made a huffing sound when his name reached his ears, blinking at the familiarity. "Control yourself. Do not let the words of a parasitical lowlife get to you." No one moved, all eyes trained on the volatile werewolf as he went silent. Akashi watched the black holes in Aomine's irises waver, their inky color swarming with several emotions. "You're better than this. Don't resort to violence with the beast's instigation, it will only cause more harm than good. Don't let it win."
The alpha's words struck a chord within the unstable shapeshifter. Aomine sucked in a breath as he straightened up, shaking his head harshly from side to side to clear his thoughts of their hazy imprisonment. Kise let out the breath he hadn't known he'd been holding, the air passing through his lips as his golden gaze watched Aomine's orbs retain their normal appearance, the pupil receding and azure filling its place. The bluenette blinked in confusion, thoughts most likely still being jumbled after the high of adrenaline.
"Sorry, 'Kashi." The werewolf mumbled.
Kise stifled a chuckle at his pack member, finding the simple apology amusing. It was just like Aomine to have such a small reaction after something like that. If he had actually allowed the wolf to control his movements and fought Akashi then . . . well, maybe it was best if he didn't say. Aomine was one of the worst in their pack when it came to subduing the wolf inside. What had just transpired wasn't the first to happen, and it most definitely wouldn't be the last.
Kise could only hope that Aomine's unstable actions never came to any serious repercussions, but he internally knew that it was only a matter of time before the hotheaded teen slipped and did something truly irremediable. It was after all, hard for the bluenette to manage in this lifestyle, especially since it was practically in his nature to be reliant on his wolf—that and the fact that the life Aomine had come from wasn't a pleasant one . . . Kise shook his head. Now wasn't the time to think about that.
"What?! That's it?!" a voice roared from below, startling the copy-cat out of his thoughts. He had almost forgotten the vampire was even there since he had grown so quiet after Aomine snapped a fuse. Too bad Aomine didn't kill him. Kise internally whined, wanting the underworlder to shut his mouth and actually stay silent for once. The leech squirmed around on the ground until he was sitting on his ass, his face marred into an ugly scowl. "And here I thought I would get to see some action. You wolves are fucking boring." He sighed in exasperation with a pout.
"Shut up, leech." Aomine immediately snapped in return, completely forgetting about his earlier phase. Kise shook his head at the ganguro's antics. Aomine would never change. He would fight with a vampire every chance he got. "I'll show you some 'action.'" The werewolf began to advance on the defenseless vampire, his face set into a glower.
Akashi held a hand to the other's chest, pushing back with a stern look. "Enough, Daiki." He said tersely to stop Aomine in his tracks. Aomine gave one glance at their alpha before turning around, grumbling to himself as he walked away.
"Hah! Giving up so easily?" green eyes held a glint of mirth at the scolding Aomine received. "Guess it should be expected from a lot of filthy mongrels such as yourselves. You all think you're high and mighty until your shitty alpha comes in to rein your sorry asses back into place. And you know what that makes you?" Kise felt himself desperately wanting to punch that haughty smirk off the ravenette's face. The vampire leaned forward as if to tell Aomine a secret despite the distance between them, a look of amusement plastered over his features. "That makes you his little bitc—"
The vampire's words were cut short forcefully when a fist came into contact with his jaw, the power behind the hit creating a satisfying crack sound as it broke the bone. The leech's green eyes widened in shock as he flew backwards, a startled shriek escaping from the unexpected punch to his face. Akashi towered over him, his eyes narrowed into slits as he gazed down in distaste.
"Your constant usage of profanities is irritating. I do not tolerate such words when directed towards my pack." Akashi spoke flatly, his eyes searing holes into the helpless fledgling who was shaking on the ground in fright. "It would do you good if you were to refrain from saying such threats when in my presence. The next time, it will be your tongue that I will detach from your body." The vampire nodded his head in understanding and Akashi made a snort of disgust, turning around so he could return to his place by the wall.
Kise couldn't find it in himself to hold back the laugher that came pouring from his lips, finding the situation to be too hilarious. It wasn't every day he saw his alpha swing a fist to shut up a vampire. The little annoying leech must have finally crossed the line and Akashi had taken the pleasure of actually shutting him up. Kise's laugh dwindled to small chuckles after a few seconds, remembering that he was still on a mission and thus had to stay professional. But the copy-cat couldn't keep the grin from etching itself in his lips while he watched the vampire's struggle to remain silent. The leech was limp on the floor, his broken jaw unable to close the gap between his teeth as it hung off its hinges. The vampire was strangely subdued for once. Hah! Kise mused in mirth. Who's whose bitch now?
Kise's ears twitched when a shuffle of several footsteps echoed from outside, their pace light yet quick as they gradually came closer to the building they resided in. The blonde tilted his head as he identified three pairs of footfalls and sighed in relief upon figuring the rest of their pack had finally decided to show up. He heard Aomine let out a breath with a "finally" filling the air just as the doors opened to reveal the final members of their group. Kise raised an eyebrow at the sight of dried blood sticking to the side of Kuroko's face, the bluenette looking as if he had just been hit by a semi-truck. Kise saw Akashi do the same thing as him, a questioning look plastered to his face as he raised an eyebrow at Midorima. The greenette sighed and casted a look to the alpha that said he'd explain it later.
"Aww, fuck. There's more of you?" the parasite complained from the floor—or at least that's what Kise thought he said. He wasn't too sure since the words he spoke sounded garbled and cut short since he was still trying to heal from his injury. It was a miracle in itself that he was even capable to sound that coherent considering his bone was crushed to the side which should have prevented him from being able to form any words at all. Despite the vamp's annoying moans Kise chose to ignore him, opting instead to sprint towards the small phantom to tackle him into a bone crushing hug.
"Kurokocchi! I'm so happy you're here~" Kise shouted with a huge grin breaking out on his face as he jumped to grab Kuroko. A flash of cerulean blue met his in the brief second that he was airborne, Kuroko giving him a side-glance before promptly stepping forward to move safely out of Kise's trajectory. The smile swiftly flew off the blonde werewolf's expression as he sailed through empty air and abruptly crashed into the hard ground beneath him. "Ack!" Kise couldn't stop the sound of slight hurt escaping, his body painfully connecting with the cement and flipping over with the momentum till he landed with an oof on his back. The teen blinked at the ceiling a few times, feeling flabbergasted that the little shadow had evaded him so easily.
"Kurokocchi . . ." Kise whined while lifting himself up from the floor, "so mean~" a few tears pricked at the corners of his eyes for affect as he gazed in dejection towards the smaller bluenette.
The expressionless teen didn't even give him a glance. "I would prefer if Kise-kun didn't try to mortally wound me with one of his fatal and hazardous death hugs. I'd rather not die at the present moment."
Mortally wound? Death hugs? It felt as if Kuroko's words had pierced though him, an invisible force driving itself deeply into Kise's very being without mercy. The werewolf doubled over as if he was actually struck through his chest, a hand clasping in his light blue shirt while a shaky grin made its way to his face. "Y-You don't really mean that do you?" the blonde was met with silence, Kuroko having left him to join the others near the restrained vamp; they looked to be in a heavy conversation. "Hey!" Kise wailed though no one turned to give their attention to the whining werewolf. Why does everyone ignore me?! Kise huffed internally and stomped over to stand next to Aomine who was fiddling with his bowie knife out of boredom.
"Now that we are all here it would be best if we commenced with our reason for being here." Akashi spoke, his arms crossed as he stood only a few feet away from the green-eyed parasite. Kise watched as Kuroko glanced around the room in curiosity, his blue orbs finally coming to rest on the bound ravenette in confusion.
"Who is he?" the little shadow asked out of pure interest, his eyes blinking towards the alpha in expectance of an answer.
"A nuisance—that's what." Aomine said, despite the question not being directed at him. He flipped his knife through the air, catching it and pointing it at the vampire with his usual scowl painted on his features. "A pain in the ass, rotten as hell, fucking nuisance who doesn't know when to keep his trap shut." Kuroko blinked at the vulgarities spewing from the hotheaded teen's mouth like water. It wasn't like he hadn't ever heard the werewolf curse, though it was the first time he's heard it being said with so much malice. If Kuroko only knew how much the vampire had actually ticked off the dark bluenette before they got here—that, and just the fact that Aomine already held such an extreme abhorrence towards the undead underworlders.
"Look who's talking." A voice quipped from below. Kise's golden orbs snapped down to see the vampire spitting out a clot of blood, his teeth grinding together in pain as his jaw finally set back into place. Aomine released a snarl but didn't attempt to do anything towards the sarcastic comment jibed at him. A flicker of annoyance passed over Akashi's mismatched eyes, their color clouding from the emotion as he let out a small growl in warning. The vampire glanced at the alpha and gulped, shivers raking his spine as he lowered his green gaze to the ground and refrained from making any other sounds.
"This is a fledgling, as you probably already know." Akashi turned to Kuroko. "Although the newborn is fairly young and most likely clueless to the majority of the supernatural in general, I have beliefs that he might contain knowledge of the one who turned him." Kuroko's eyes travelled over to the vampire again, who was once again struggling quietly with his chains. "Whether or not we retrieve that information easily depends entirely on him. Fledgling vampires have a knack for being difficult, and this one hasn't proved to be anything different."
A mumble came from the vampire, almost too inaudible and low to hear—even for Kise's keen ears. All eyes turned to the chained newborn, the vampire sitting with a frown on his young face. "What?" Kise asked when a few moments passed and the vampire didn't look like he was going to repeat what he said anytime soon. The leech jolted as if stung, his head lifting to meet the inquiring stares from the werewolves surrounding him. He shifted, an uncomfortable expression wafting over his face.
"I said," the vampire looked down again, "I have a fucking name."
Midorima snorted from across Kise, raising a hand to push up his combat glasses more securely on the bridge of his nose. "Then please, enlighten us." The greenette's voice dripped with obvious sarcasm. The newborn gave a small hiss, his eyes narrowed in distaste at the unappreciated comment towards him.
"Why the hell should I tell you filthy bunch of dogs?" the leech spat, turning his nose up in the air. "It's not like you'll even use it—being the disrespectful fucking bastards you are."
"What the hell?!" Aomine exclaimed, his eyebrow giving a small twitch in annoyance. "You said 'you have a name' as in invitation for actually telling us it and then you go saying that shit? What the fuck kind of logic is that?! Quit being so damn difficult!" the hotheaded teen demanded to which the vampire completely ignored. Not enjoying the way the fledgling disregarded him, Aomine let out a deep growl, his teeth grinding together in aggravation.
"Please stop this." A soft voice floated through the air, nearly startling everyone at its unexpectedness. Kise whipped his head to the direction of the voice, his eyes eventually falling on the pale bluenette located at the corner of their little "group." Kuroko took a few steps towards the center of the crude circle around the newborn, his cerulean orbs trained intensely on the vampire's green stones of fresh cut grass. "My name is Kuroko Tetsuya." The phantom introduced himself impassively. "What's yours?"
Idiot! Kise thought, mentally face palming himself. Don't go introducing yourself to the enemy so carelessly!
"Uh . . ." the leech didn't seem to know how to react, completely caught off guard by the small teen's actions. "K-Kaede Nobuyuki." He managed to stutter out with confusion marring his features.
"Nice to meet you." Was the blank reply. A stifling silence befell the area after the words left the bluenette's lips. Kise shook his head at Kuroko, not finding it in himself to tell the other that they were here to interrogate the vampire, not befriend it or even hold a civil conversation with it. A sigh escaped the blonde werewolf. Sometimes, Kuroko's too naïve for his own good.
"Enough of this." The heterochromatic-eyed alpha broke the quiet around them, his voice cutting the silence like a blade through water. "We are wasting precious time—need I not remind you that we are still within a fledgling nest, and every second spent here is a high risk for us all. We must begin the interrogation before anything inconvenient occurs. Daiki, Atsushi," said werewolves raised their heads to look at the redhead, "assist me with the fledgling." The heterochromatic-eyed werewolf sent a cold stare at the vampire who could only shrivel in fright under the gaze, not having the confidence to correct Akashi on his name. "Shintarō, Ryōta, keep guard and make sure we aren't interrupted." Kise and Midorima gave a swift nod of acknowledgement. "Tetsuya remain here. Now, we will—"
Kise didn't stick around long enough to hear what the rest of his alpha had to say, quickly following his green haired pack mate out of the stuffy building and out onto the quiet streets of the night. Midorima and he shared a small glance, a silent conversation passing between them before Kise turned to head up to the roof of the building while Midorima sprinted off to lurk in the shadows from afar. It was always like this; Kise would take up the position of close surveillance, usually sticking within a few hundred yards of the rest of their pack. Midorima tended to keep to the borders of a kilometer's distance, keeping an eye on anything that could be a potential threat from the hidden cloak of darkness. Words were never spoken to create this arrangement, it just happened one day and the two haven't tried to change it since.
Kise crouched on the edge of the tall building, his eyes gazing out to the dark ocean that fell from the docks just ten yards away from where he stood. It glittered beautifully in the silver light the crescent moon glowed, the color reflecting as mellow waves crashed against the shore. Sighing as he sat down on the ledge, the night sky like that of a million fireflies, Kise couldn't help but feel relaxed as a gentle breeze caressed his cheeks. The vampire stench in the air wasn't as prominent as it was when they first got here, of course that could be because they were on the outskirts of the abandoned part of the city, the place backing up to the light scent of the ocean. However, when Kise breathed in a deep intake of air the only thing he received was the weak, lingering smells of long-gone vampires. It would seem the parasites had finally decided to flee the area and return to wherever their God forsaken clan resided at.
Even though that piece of information was good, Kise couldn't decide whether that was a good thing or not. The vampires could have fled simply because of their presence, not finding it to be safe when in their immediate vicinity. That was probably the best answer but if the vampires had returned to their clan then that meant they had to travel through the city, which was swarming with people who would practically be a walking buffet for them. Kise internally wished the vamps had enough restraint to not tear open the closest living being to them. It was severely risky since there were so many of them and that could allow the humans to discover their secret identities and that could mean the death of all of them. Hopefully the vampires weren't a bunch of massacring idiots like usual.
It was only ten minutes later when Kise heard the doors of the abandoned warehouse slam open, a shadowed figure running out of the building in hurried steps. It took him a second to realize it was Kuroko; the little bluenette's heaved panting being loud enough for Kise to hear despite the distance between them. The pale phantom made it to the end of the docks, standing on the edge of the molded wood and stared into the dark horizon. Kise turned his head down to peer at the doors of the building, the metal swinging on their hinges as they closed back up again from the force of the impact. Why did Kuroko take off like that? Kise stood up from his seat, determining that the only way to find out would be to ask the bluenette himself.
Making sure that all of his guns were secured tightly on his person, the werewolf gave a slight sniff before stepping off of the roof to freefall down to the ground. The wind blew his hair back, his jacket and shirt whipping around him as he dropped like a stone towards the fast approaching ground. His feet landed lightly on the street, his knees bending slightly to absorb most of the impact as he crouched to balance himself before taking off at a slow jog to where the smaller teen was standing. The phantom didn't seem to notice his presence as the blonde werewolf came to a stop next to him, his cerulean blue stones clouded with thoughts. Kise didn't know what to say to the silent high schooler, remaining silent and deciding that he would allow for the bluenette to break the silence first. What came out of Kuroko's mouth, however, was not something he expected—at all.
"I hate what they are doing."
Kise snapped his head to look over at Kuroko, the smaller teen had a look of disgust on his face though he was still looking out at the ocean. "Huh?" was all the copy-cat could reply, not fully understanding what the human was saying. "What do you mean, Kurokocchi?" it was then that a scream pierced through the air, the tone blood-curdling.
Kuroko's hands clenched into fists. "I do not agree with what Akashi-kun has decided for the vampire. Torturing him for answers . . ." Kuroko's words drifted off, the phantom looking a little paler than usual. Kise blinked at the bluenette, confusion marring his flawless features. "It's not humane."
What? Did Kuroko actually feel sympathy for the bloodsucking leech? Even after all the trouble those underworlders have put him through Kuroko still has the ability to care for the wellbeing of one of them? "But Kurokocchi! Why should you care about those filthy vampires?" Kise questioned with false innocence, his head tilting to the side. Kuroko glanced at him out of the corner of his eye and Kise couldn't stop the flinch out of fear from the heated glare. The blonde werewolf lifted his hands up in a passive manor, stepping back out of reflex. "Ah . . . w-what I mean is, the vampires have been trying to get their claws on you for a while now. Shouldn't you feel some sort of hate towards them?"
"It's true that I don't particularly like the vampires in general," Kuroko let out a sigh and returned to gazing at the silver waves, "but that doesn't mean that I dislike Kaede-kun personally." Kaede? Oh, the name of the fledgling. "It's not like he has done anything to me. And honestly, despite his vampire status, Kaede-kun is still a person. He doesn't deserve this kind of ill treatment."
Kise ran a hand through his golden locks, feeling uneasy about the other's concern for their enemy. Just what was he supposed to say? It wasn't as if he shared the same views as Kuroko. If he were to be completely truthful with himself, the idea that the vampire was finally getting beaten was kind of a relief to the werewolf. It always made him somewhat glad when the leeches got what they warranted from killing so many innocent people. To him, none of the vile underworlders deserved to live. But even though Kuroko has experienced firsthand what the vampires were, he still considered the vampire as someone who didn't deserve this fate and was actually troubled for him. Kise didn't know whether the human was completely kindhearted through and through, or just downright blind.
Why should Kuroko care what that repulsive leech feels? He was a disgrace on this earth, forever damned to lurked in the shadows and feed from the thing he once was: a human. Vampires killed without a hint of guilt or mercy, taking from this earth without restrained and did whatever they pleased. Their numbers polluted the lands and they stained the ground of innocent blood without any remorse. They were . . . they were monsters. Why couldn't Kuroko see that? Why did he still . . . care?
"You shouldn't feel sorry for something like that." Kise spoke without thinking, his temper flaring at the thought of Kuroko wasting his thoughts on something as undeserving as a vampire. "That fledgling is still a vampire, and vampires kill. He could have already taken several lives." The blonde werewolf clenched his fists. "Don't spend your time feeling concerned for something that doesn't give a damn about you!" Kise almost yelled. Something flashed in front of his eyes as soon as the words left his mouth, a memory coming to the surface after so many years of keeping it buried. The memory made him choke, his eyes widening. "They always take you for granted." He managed to force out in a whisper.
"Kise-kun?" Kuroko questioned with worry etched in his expression. "Is something wrong?" a hand reached out to lightly tug on the sleeve of his jacket.
"Don't care about other people." Kise breathed through his nose, closing his amber eyes. "It never ends the way you'd expect it to.
"I would know."
And there you have it. If I missed any grammar errors please tell me and I will fix it immediately. Also, thank you to all who have reviewed, favorited, and followed so far! You don't know how much that means to me! Anyways, don't forget to REVIEW! They are like my fuel for writing these excruciatingly hard chapters, that and I love to read your thoughts about my work. If you have any questions I'll try to answer them to the best of my abilities as quickly as I can.
Until next time~