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Disclaimer: Blood+ ist meine nicht.
Chapter Eleven
"If there's nothing to give, how can we ask for more? That look on your face…is delicate."
-Damien Rice-
The streets blurred beneath me like cold, dark waters; the harsh chill of the night air sucked down into my lungs with forced ease. My heart beat wildly in my chest, as if it frantically wished to escape. Or was it me? But I knew. I was…afraid. What if this didn't work? What if the twins were already dead? What if Kai died? What if we were fighting for nothing? What if I was destroyed? What if…?
Suddenly I froze in place, hot breath on my neck forcing me to whirl around in surprise. Hagi pulled me against him roughly. "You need to calm down," he said softly. "You won't be able to fight if you're that afraid."
Reluctantly, I pulled away from him, ignoring the lingering scent filling my senses before it could distract me. "I know," I replied, taking a few deep breaths to fill my hoarse lungs. "But it's not like I have a choice."
He said nothing in reply, and again I was finding it hard to believe he wasn't that same Hagi as thirty years ago. His cello case on his back, he walked beside me in the darkness. And then we heard it. A low growl in the shadows ahead. My hands were shaking, whether from fear or the adrenaline rush I couldn't say for certain. It stepped into the light of the streetlamp, a nasty snarl distorting it's already beastly face. It's teeth gleamed a sickly yellow in the dim light, drool foaming slightly at the sides. Claws bared, it hunched up onto it's hind legs and stood still as if in an attack stance.
"Saya," came Hagi's voice at my shoulder, pressing the cold hilt of my sword into my hand.
I gripped it, my hand grazing his as I removed it smoothly from it's sheath. But that small, delicate contact had no effect on me now, my eyes had already altered to their blood red state. I almost smirked when the beast's hair began to bristle. Did it sense that I'm a monster? That it should be afraid? Now I did smile, though bitterly. Hagi's face was shadowed and expressionless next to me. Finally the beast lunged for at us; Hagi blocking it with his cello case. Quickly I pricked my finger a drew up my blade after the blood had trickled down it's length. My arms raised high, ready to strike. My knees slightly bent as I prepared to attack the howling beast. And then…"Saya! Don't kill it!" came voices that made me turn around in horror as the beast jumped passed me.
Kai and Julia came huffing into view, guns drawn as the beast hustled it's way towards them. "We need to wound it enough so that it'll return to it's base!" Julia yelled through labored breaths. "Your sword will kill it instantly. So wait!"
I stood still as they shot the beast repeatedly, it's howls becoming twisted moans as it was rendered weak by the loss of blood. It sauntered side to side, no longer able to swish a claw at them. I sighed in relief as it turned to run away. I stepped back as it rushed past, blood pouring from it's wounds. Hopefully it would lead us back before it died.
I waited for Kai and Julia to catch up before we took off after it, following the blood as it ventured out of sight. Then it finally came to an abrupt stop after about a mile of tracking it. Before us was an immense old factory, grime and cracks and mud caking the entire building. The front door had been busted down, a bloody mess pooled with the rubble of it. As we stepped inside the dark interior, a putrid smell about the place, Julia started mumbling who would try the stairs and who would go to the basement, but I couldn't quite follow the words. "They're below," I said low enough to be a growl.
Silently they followed me as I made my way down the black stairs, a light visible far below. Blood was on the steps, too. When we reached the bottom and entered the light of the room, Julia and Kai let out a gasp and we froze. The beast before us was shriveling up, foam and blood spewing from it's mouth. It convulsed for a few moments before going stock still. It was dead. I looked around the rest of the room, cages lining the walls with shining eyes peering out. They're were hundreds of them, some hairier and more grotesque than the others. A shudder passed through my before I continued on to another room, Hagi right behind me.
Immediately the men at their computers let out hollers of surprise when we slammed open the door. Julia screamed. Between the circle of their computers were two large tubes. Inside the tubes were two girls, not much younger than myself in appearance. They looked starved; their discolored skin clinging tightly to their bones. Kai hunched over and puked. "What the hell do you people think you're doing?!" one of them yelled at none of us in particular, having found his voice.
"Whatever do you mean?" I hissed, my hand clenching my sword so tightly it bled. "This is what you wanted, right? Me? Saya!?"
Their screams in surprise was the last thing I heard before anything human in my mind was completely shut out.
Then I lost it.
A/N: I'll update tomorrow, so don't kill me for the cliffy, please. And review! It's always appreciated!
